Perfect
by Zlo1313
Summary: Before Wammy's, Near was imperfect. His parents told him so. Now, with a chance to reinvent himself, he decides he is going to be perfect no matter what.
1. Prologue

**This is Near's story: how he was sent to Wammy's, what his parents were like, etc. I own all OCs, I do not own Death Note!**

* * *

August 12, 1994

Rain tapped its fingertips against the glass of a window in an old house. A woman with long brown hair rocked back and forth in her wooden chair. She was knitting a tiny hat meant for a newborn. Her belly was swollen from pregnancy and every once in a while, she would pause to lovingly run her fingers across her stomach. She blinked her sweet, brown eyes slowly, looking over her shoulder when she heard footsteps. A tall man with sleek blond hair and blue eyes placed his hands on her shoulder, pecking her on the cheek.

"How is my son and his beautiful mother?"

The woman smiled. "He kicked today. He's been doing that more often. He must be getting restless. It's only a couple more weeks."

The man returned the smile and sat in his chair. He pulled out a crossword puzzle and began to work on it. His wife resumed her knitting, humming a gentle lullaby. He chewed on the end of his pen thoughtfully.

"Liquet, have you thought of a name yet?" He inquired.

Liquet stopped humming and gazed at her stomach. "I was thinking...Nate."

"Nate River. It sounds perfect."

August 24, 1994

The hour old infant lay cocooned in a warm, blue blanket. The hat his mother had knitted for him just barely concealed the white curls. All around him, newborns were kicking and crying, frightened by the change of scenery. Not him. His large gray eyes blinked and he turned his head a little, curious of his location. He yawned, revealing his gummy mouth, and decided he wasn't that interested where he was. The bassinet he was in said, "Nate River."  
He stuck his thumb in his mouth and sucked on it, his eyes sliding shut. He, too, began to feel the exhaustion of being birthed. As he experienced his first night, a nurse stood in front of the window, pointing him out to his father. She recognized him as the renowned doctor Keith River. He was an expert at even the most dangerous surgeries and he's never had a patient die in his care to date.

Earlier, the delivery had been near disastrous for both mother and child. Liquet's body was not built to handle the stress of giving birth, so at the last minute her doctor decided a C-section would be the best option. When they pulled the baby out, he wasn't breathing. They worked quickly, clearing his mouth and lungs. His little body shuddered as he took his first breath and he screamed. The nurses cleaned and wrapped him up before placing him in his stunned mother's arms. The baby stared at his mother's face and gurgled with what the nurses assumed was happiness. Liquet looked up at Keith's face, his bewilderment matching her own. Neither said anything as the baby, Nate, shifted slightly in his blanket. She had seen that look on all new parents before. However, there was one thing that puzzled her: Liquet wasn't smiling at her son, wasn't cooing to him. The midwife thought Liquet and her husband were just in loving shock. They weren't.

Their daze was not because of the miracle of birth. Their daze was disgust of their new son.


	2. River

**Hmm, I'll start with thanking everyone who reviewed and favorited/read the prologue to the story! Now for acknowledgments:**

**Jelly-Bean-Jr: I have to be honest, initially, I was not too fond of Near, but then I read the reason why he is so distant is because he is sensitive. That, and him telling Rester and Halle he would be pissed if they knocked his tower over made me like him ^^. **

**ImagineFun: Once again, I thank you for your constructive criticism.**

**Hasigami: I feel sorry for him, too T.T**

**Guest: Thank you for your review!**

**I do not own Death Note! I only own Liquet and Keith River! (Unfortunately...)**

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Two year old Nate sat in the middle of the floor of the living room, listening to his mother hum. It wasn't a happy tune, but he liked its melancholic tone. She hummed it when she was displeased. A shiver crept up his spine and he hugged himself. The heat was on, the furnace groaning by the window, but it still felt so cold to him. The humming stopped. He swiveled his head around to look up at Liquet. She was staring at him, her perky nose wrinkled with disdain.

"We're going to have to dye that hair of yours again. Honestly, it's as if the natural color creeps in just to spite me."

He subconsciously touched a brown curl. He didn't understand anything of what she said except "hair" and "color." Nate pouted up at his mother. Why did she hate his hair so much? Why did she always look at him like he had spit in her face? He was snapped out of his questions when a hand smacked his right cheek. Like all children do when they are hurt, he began to cry and stared at Liquet, hoping for some sort of comfort. Instead, she stood up and grabbed his chubby arm tightly. He whimpered as she dragged him out of the room and down the hall.

"I've told you before not to look at me with those sinner eyes!" She hissed, opening his bedroom door.

She shoved him in, but his little fingers wrapped around the door. He looked up at her, his eyes brimming with tears. "N-no, mama!"

She ignored his plea. "When you have calmed down, I will let you out."

She slammed the door. He wasn't able to pull his fingers back in time and shrieked when the door caught them harshly. Nate cradled his injured hand to his chest and curled up in his favorite corner. His tears slowed, the last one dripping from his chin and splashing onto his white shirt. He felt the tear stains dry, leaving the sensation that the skin on his cheeks was tight. He wrapped his uninjured fingers around the throbbing digits of his other hand, the coolness of his own skin soothing them. When the pain lessened, he looked around his bleak room.

His room was small, even for a toddler. There had been blue wallpaper, but his father had torn it down, leaving the walls achromatic. The floor was wooden with some pieces pointing upward, ready to snag a the bottom of a foot, or an unwitting palm. Nate had taken to wearing socks constantly even during the hot summer months. His tiny cot of a bed hugged the corner adjacent to the door, the sheets threadbare and smelling strongly of mothballs. Right above his bed was a window that looked like it hadn't been cleaned since had had been brought home from the hospital. His toys were sparse, (a book about sharing, a spelling machine, and an old puzzle) although he did have a favorite. It was a stuffed bear with a chewed up ear. It was missing a buttoned eye and part of its foot was missing, but it brought him a sense of comfort. He called it "Marliz." He would occasionally play with the spelling machine, having fun typing in words that started with the letter "N." It was his favorite letter.

His stomach began to growl its lament of missing lunch. Nate heard his door being opened and released his hand, standing up. Liquet poked her head in.

"Have you calmed down?"

Sniffling, he nodded. She opened the door completely and walked in. He kept his eyes downcast and nearly flinched in surprise when a hand smoothed his hair. He dared to look through his bangs. Liquet's face was pinched in what he assumed to be sympathy.

"I wonder what Keith and I had done to have you as our son." She murmured.

He hesitantly held his arms out to her, thinking her utterance to be words of kindness toward him. She paused, then picked him up and carried him out of his room. She brought him to the kitchen and set him down on a chair. She placed a single piece of buttered bread in front of him. Nate smiled and happily ate it. Keith was sitting at the table, drinking a glass of water.

"How was your day, dear?" Liquet asked, placing a bowl of beef stew before her husband.

"Alright; I performed surgery on a five year old with a heart murmur. Poor thing wouldn't have lived to see her sixth birthday without it and it certainly cost her parents a pretty penny." He answered, spooning some of the stew.

Nate watched his parents and frowned slightly. He knew he didn't look like them. He didn't have his father's sharp chin, nor his nose. Yet, he didn't have anything of his mother's either, except maybe her long lashes and alabaster skin. He definitely didn't have their eyes or hair color. He faintly recalled hearing the term "albinism", though it meant nothing to his premature mind. Everything was black and white to him.

Liquet grabbed Nate by his arm and led him back to his room, much to his discontentment. He didn't want to go back into that cold, disheartening room.

"M-Mama..." He slowed his pace, attempting to get her attention.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "What is it?"

"No Nia room." He withheld a groan of frustration. Why couldn't he properly articulate his thoughts? His head clearly stated: "I don't want to go back to my room," yet his mouth decided with as few words as possible? He had already accepted he wasn't ready to pronounce his name yet, but the rest of his words were just unacceptable to him.

She frowned at him and he looked down at his socked feet. "Such a stupid child; you can't even speak properly. I have no use for idiots."

When he didn't move, she yanked roughly on his arm. He whimpered and stumbled after her, his small legs struggling to keep up with her longer strides. She shoved him into his room and closed the door. This time, he kept his fingers out of the way. He heard the lock click into place and slumped his shoulders. He glanced at the window and saw it was completely dark out. He had no definitive bedtime; his parents didn't come for him until late morning when he was just about ready to cry from hunger. He remembered the one time he had vocally cried and it was his father who had gone to get him. He still had a scar from father's wedding ring.

He hated the long hours of waiting for someone, if anyone had remembered him that is, to bring him out of his room. Sleep was a rare luxury for him. For him, sleep brought nightmares in the sound of his mother's screams and the taste of tears.

Nate decided he would solve the puzzle. It was a dusty puzzle of around five hundred pieces. It was supposed to make the image of a bridge and surrounding landscape, but it was an old puzzle. He dumped the pieces out of the box, sneezing once when a little plume of dust tickled his nose. He used his sleeve to wipe the lingering dust off the top of the box and studied the picture of what the puzzle would look like when completed. He figured working his way from the outside in would be the best way to solve it. As he worked on his puzzle, he thought back to what his mother called him.

He knew what an idiot was. He comprehended the difference between the adjectives "smart" and "stupid." He furrowed his brow. He was neither an idiot nor stupid. He could dress himself, he taught himself how to read (granted, it was a simple book), and he was potty trained with no help from his mother other than the occasional smack.

"Why did Mama call Nia stupid?" He asked his bear, who was perched in front of him, watching him work on the puzzle.

He imagined Marliz shrugging his worn shoulders, then saying, "Nia isn't stupid."

Nate smiled at the bear and set him so he was leaning against his side. He glanced at the puzzle, pleasantly surprised with his progress. A yawn escaped his throat and he stood up, clutching Marliz's paw, and set him on the bed. He pulled out his pajamas and clumsily buttoned the shirt. He made sure his nightlight was on before turning his lamp off. He crawled under the too thin sheet and quilt and looked up at his ceiling. Drowsiness began to make his eyelids grow heavy and he shut them. No sooner had he done so, however, he began to hear the nightly screams.

His mother pled and his father struck. He buried himself more into his blankets and clutched Marliz to his chest, withholding his whimpers.

It was just another night in the River household.


	3. Near

**Hashigami- This isn't an AU; he does go to Wammy's. Love your idea though!**

**Imaginefun- I'm glad the last one was more coherent ^^"**

**Jelly-Bean-Jr- I know, I hate putting him through this T.T**

**I do not own DN!**

* * *

He woke up the next morning to a strangely silent and scentless house. He didn't hear his mother moving about in the kitchen, or smell bacon wafting through the house. He did hear one thing, though. His father getting ready for the day. He sat up in his bed, still hugging Marliz, straining his ears. Keith walked past his door. Nate heard the front door slam shut. He felt his stomach begin to grumble.

After what felt like hours, Nate cautiously screamed, knowing Liquet hated loud noises. He waited for his door to be swung open, for the smacks, but he was only met with silence. He squinted his eyes in confusion. Was she not home either? A feeling of panic made his stomach flip. What if his parents had just abandoned him, leaving him locked in his room to starve like a dog?

Nate pushed his blanket off his legs and got out of bed, walking to the door. The doorknob was higher than his head. He stood on the tips of his toes, his arms too short to reach it. With a little huff, he grabbed a stool that was hiding in the abandoned corner of his room, and dragged to the door. He stood on top of it and experimentally turned the knob. It wouldn't budge. He hopped off the stool and looked around for something to unlock the door.

He spotted a wire coat hanger with his winter jacket hanging off it. He walked over, took the jacket off, and struggled to bend the hook straight. He accidentally whacked himself in the face with the hanger when it sprang out of his hands and he winced, pausing to rub his now sore cheek.

He smiled when he was able to straighten it and looked at Marliz, bragging, "Look what I did!"

Marliz applauded, his stitched mouth pulling up in a grin. Nate got onto the stool and stuck the hanger into the small opening and jimmied the lock. There was a click and he experimentally turned the knob. The door creaked open. His smile widened and he hopped off the stool, pushing it out of the way of the door. He grabbed his bear and stepped out of his room.

The hallway was cool and he shivered, wrapping his arms around himself. Nate first checked the living room, but Liquet's rocking chair was empty. He went to the kitchen, but she wasn't there either. He hesitated in the doorway of their bedroom. He wasn't allowed in there. Then again, he would be punished for being out of his room without permission. What was another punishment to him?

_"Better to ask for forgiveness than for permission,"_ Marliz chanted. Nate nodded his head in agreement and walked into the dark room. As his eyes adjusted, he felt his way around his parent's bed. He let out a startled yelp when he tripped over something, landing on his belly. Thinking it was a shoe, he turned to glare at it only to meet the frozen eyes of his mother.

"Mama?" He stood back up and touched her cheek, but pulled his hand quickly back as though he had been burned.

Her skin was freezing. He chided, "Mama will catch a cold."

She didn't move, didn't say anything. Nate tilted his head to the side and noticed something strange.

"Mama, where's your body?" He queried.

_"Nia, something isn't right...your mama's dead!_" Marliz exclaimed.

"'Dead?'" He remembered that word. Keith always told Liquet she was dead. As his mind put the pieces together, he slowly began to realize what happened the night before.

He screamed and ran out of the room. He bumped into a leg and landed on his bottom. He looked up and saw his father. He cried out when a large hand grabbed his hair, lifting him back onto his feet.

"What are you doing out of your room?!" Keith hissed.

"P-Papa, mama-"

"Shut up!" His tiny body was thrown against the wall.

He curled up into a quivering ball, sobbing as his father kicked him. He ached, he pleaded, he coughed up blood.

"No more! N-no more pain!" He whimpered. He heard the rustling of a plastic bag nearby and his father's drunken mumbling.

"You are imperfect, a stain. Liquet was different, giving birth to a sinner! I won't have my name tarnished by a whore and a bastard." He felt himself being picked up and stuffed into the bag. The front door opened and shut and he was placed outside.

He hated this darkness and noticed each breath was more difficult than the last. Chilly air bit through the bag and the hard ground pushed itself against his beaten body. The roaring sound of a garbage truck frightened him after ages of silence. Rough hands picked him up and he cried.

"...Did you hear something, man?"

"Like what?"

"Like a kid, crying."

The voices were muffled. Nate gave another cry, louder than the last one.

"Yeah, I wonder where it's...oh, god. Please tell me it isn't coming from this trash bag." The bag was lowered to the ground.

The sound of a pocket knife cutting through plastic. Suddenly, it was so bright. Nate covered his eyes and whined.

"Oh, my god!" Gentle hands lifted him out of the bag and he was securely against a warm chest.

Tears streamed down his face and he cried. He cried while the garbagemen called the police. He cried when he was placed in an ambulance and taken to the hospital. He cried himself to sleep.

* * *

"Nate, can you tell me how old you are?" The social worker asked gently.

He stared at her with dull gray eyes, his face wiped of emotion. With a small sigh, she held up ten fingers. "Can you touch my fingers and show me how old you are?"

He continued to stare at her then touched her thumb and index finger.

"Two? Thank you very much, Nate. Do you know where your mommy and daddy are?"

He blinked. They had been trying to get him to talk, to do something other than stare at the wall since he had landed in the hospital two weeks ago. He didn't want to talk. Not to these people that spoke to him so childishly, their voices absurdly high. He wasn't used to it, this kindness. He didn't like it. The social worker sent him a sympathetic look before standing up from the chair beside his bed.

"Before I go, I have something for you." She handed him a Rubik's Cube. It was a simple one (2x2x2). "It might a little too hard for you, but it's better than just sitting here."

She took it from him and mixed up the colors. "You have to match them."

He took it back from her and began to fiddle with it. She smiled lightly and left the room.

When his nurse came in with his lunch, she noticed the Pocket Cube perched on the table. She looked at it, then at the two year old snuggled under the covers.

"Did you solve that?" She asked, surprised.

Nate nodded his head and sat up, reaching eagerly for the soup. One thing he liked about the hospital was they made sure he ate three times a day with a light snack at three in the afternoon. The nurse gaped before rushing out of his room and to a nearby telephone.

"Yes, is this Mr. Wammy? There's a child here at St. Francis's that I think might be a good match for your orphanage in England." She said, looking around.

The next morning, the social worker was not alone. An elderly gentleman walked into Nate's room with her, removing his hat from his head. Ever since they discovered he could solve a Pocket Cube, he had been given the standard Rubik's Cube. He solved it in a little more than twenty minutes. Next was the 6x6x6. That took forty minutes. He scowled at all the cubes he had been given and decided he didn't care for the Rubik's Cube.

"This is Nate. He probably won't speak to you, though; he's been here for about two weeks and no one has been able to get him to talk. He just lays there." The social worker said.

The man nodded and sat beside Nate. "Hello, Nate, my name is Quillsh Wammy. It's very nice to meet you."

He extended an aged hand out for Nate to take. After a moment, Nate took it and Wammy shook hands with him. So far, he kind of liked this man. He wasn't speaking to him like he was stupid; he spoke to him like they were equals.

"I heard that you seem to be rather fond of puzzles. I have a gift for you..." He reached into a bag he had brought in with him and pulled out a puzzle.

Nate studied it curiously. It wasn't like the one he had back home. This one was completely blank.

"If you can solve it in under an hour, I will tell you more about why I am here. Is that alright?"

He nodded and began the puzzle.

_Click._ He had a fifth of it completed. He guessed it had taken him fifteen minutes.

_Click._ He wondered why Wammy couldn't tell him why he was doing this.

_Click, click, click._ His pace began to quicken, though not out of anxiety of not finishing in time. It was beginning to get easier as he continued.

Nate looked up and shoved the complete puzzle over to Wammy to show him his progress. Wammy smiled, his mustache lifting.

"Very good, I knew you could do it. As promised, I will tell you why I'm here. I own an orphanage in Winchester where gifted children live. If you'd like, you can come and live there. There will be other children your age there. Would you like to go?"

Without giving it much thought, Nate nodded. Wammy looked at the social worker. "Is he healthy enough to leave the hospital?"

"Erm, yes, I believe so. The doctor may have to reexamine him just in case though...I'll go get him." She walked out of the room.

Wammy and Nate sat there, the silence comfortable as if they had known each other for years instead of hours. While they waited, Nate began to wonder about his father. Was he captured or was he out of the country? How was Marliz? He felt a pang of sadness. Poor Marliz was still in that horrid house, abandoned, soon to be forgotten. He sniffed and his doctor came in.

He grudgingly let the doctor poke and prod him. He was deemed healthy and was dressed in hand-me-downs. He scratched his itchy sweater with one hand while he held onto Wammy's finger with the other. A fancy black car was waiting outside for them. He let Wammy help him get into a car seat in the back.

"At this particular orphanage, you are given an alias. You must never tell anyone your real name. What would you like your name to be?"

Nate was tempted to tell him "Marliz", but he didn't want to be reminded of his past. His parents thought he was imperfect, a stain. He would be near perfect. _Near_.

"My name," he murmured, his voice soft, "is Near."


	4. Playroom

**MsystDemon- Thank you, I'm glad you like it!**

**Jelly-Bean-Jr- *bows head* Poor Marliz...**

**ImagineFun- I have never heard of that before: I just came up with it ^^"**

**Wow, I can't believe how many reviews this has gotten for only four chapters! I'm so happy! Anyway, I do not own Death Note!**

* * *

Near shuffled into the orphanage, clasping Wammy's finger tightly. The foyer was warm and bright from the sun peeking through the windows. In the distance, he could faintly hear children talking. On the first step of a staircase leading to the second floor was a girl no older than fifteen. Her hair was dyed in rainbow, as though she hadn't been able to decide on a color. She was tall and wispy, her sweatshirt and jeans hanging off her. She was barefoot, the nails on her toes painted black, just like her fingernails. She was tapping her foot against the wooden step, reading a book. When Wammy took Near closer, he noticed she was reading it upside down.

"Counterfeit."

She looked up at the name, her ruby lips pursed together. Near was surprised to see her eyes were completely colorless.

"Yes, Mr. Wammy?" The nicety sounded fake. Near tilted his head to the side and she grimaced at him.

"This is Near, the child I mentioned to you earlier. Would you please show him his room? I must go." Wammy gently nudged Near closer to the girl.

"Of course, Mr. Wammy." Now, she sounded mocking. Whether the old man chose to disregard it, or simply didn't realize her politeness wasn't genuine Near wasn't certain.

Wammy murmured a goodbye before leaving Near with the girl. He looked up at her and she glared at him.

Involuntarily, he cringed. Was she going to treat him the way his mother did?

"Call me Counterfeit and you die, got it? It's just C." She growled, sounding very much like a bulldog.

He nodded his head meekly, looking at his socked feet. He wrinkled his nose in distaste when he realized he would need to wash them after walking on the damp ground outside. His head snapped up when he felt her ruffle up his hair. She smiled at him.

"Let's be friends, Near. Is it alright if I pick you up?"

Blankly, he nodded. She bent down and lifted him up. He hugged her neck and peered over her shoulder as she went upstairs. As she walked, she said, "You're still too young to stay in a room alone, so you'll be staying with me until you are about four. Or, if you seem able to handle staying in a room by yourself. That includes dressing yourself, waking yourself up, and going to the bathroom."

"I can do that." He answered flatly, curiously staring at a violet strand of her hair.

"Oh? You must be very clever then. I'll let you stay in your room tonight, but if you can't handle it, you'll stay with me. Fair enough?"

Near nodded in agreement. She stopped in front of a door with the letter "N" carved into it.

"There can be up to three people in one room, each with the same letter. At the moment, you are the only N here." She explained, setting him carefully down on the floor.

He turned and looked around the room. The bed was a twin sized with a white quilt and sheets. It looked very soft and he couldn't wait to sleep on it. There was a mahogany dresser across from the bed, a desk in front of a window, and a closet large enough to hold three people's items. He liked this room much better than his previous one.

He heard humming. It was a sad tune and it made him freeze. The tone was lower than his mother's, but it still had the same effect on him. Someone was displeased with him. He turned around to look at C. She was looking at him, smiling.

"You know, I like your hair. It makes you...Near." She winked at him.

Surprised, Near reached up and touched one of his downy curls. "You...like my hair?"

"Yeah! I wish my hair was white." She commented, her smile widening into a grin.

He felt his face flush with pleasure, but made no attempt to return the smile. He wasn't Nate anymore, who would have smiled and clung to this odd girl. He was Near: he was indifferent to everyone, no matter how kind they were to him.

"I bet I know a place you'd really like. C'mon." She didn't bother asking him when she picked him up once more.

Near didn't mind; his short legs could only carry him so far. She went back downstairs and into a large playroom. It was bright, with stained glass windows, making the light filtering in hues of red, blue, and green. There were thousands of toys, all neatly categorized in trunks. Unlike the rest of the orphanage, the playroom was carpeted, the gray fuzz plush beneath his feet.

"Well? What do you think?" C asked.

He didn't answer her, choosing to shuffle into the room to the trunk labeled "puzzles." He pulled out a puzzle with five hundred pieces and dumped it out onto the floor.

He was about to sit cross legged, the way he used to, but paused halfway. He lost his balance and quickly placed his right foot on the ground and leaned forward before he fell backward. His left leg curled under his right and he blinked. He rather liked this new pose. He began to work on the puzzle. He felt C sit beside him, watching him. He didn't mind, just as long as she didn't try to help him.

A few days later, C came into the playroom with another boy. He was blond with icy blue eyes and an affinity for chocolate. Near had seen him before in the dining room. He sat alone in a corner and no matter what meal it was, he always ate a chocolate bar after. C left the boy's side and went over to Near, lightly touching his head. He leaned into her touch and didn't miss the other boy's glare of jealousy. He stomped over and tugged on her hair. She smiled at him.

"Mello, this is Near. He's a couple of years younger than you, but I think you two will get along just fine. Say hello, Near."

Near looked at Mello and murmured, "Hello."

Mello grunted and turned his back on him. C frowned and punched him lightly on his arm. "Don't be rude!"

Mello only sighed and wandered over to where the linking logs were. He began to build a house. C nudged Near. He looked up at her and she jerked her head in the direction of Mello. Near didn't think Mello liked him very much, but he would try to make friends with him to make C happy. He stood up want went over to Mello, touching him very lightly on his shoulder. Mello turned to look at him.

"May I help Mello?" Near inquired softly.

After a long moment of hesitance, Mello nodded and scooted over enough so Near could sit beside him. He looked at Mello's foundation for his house and began to help build another, smaller foundation.

"What's that supposed to be? We already have a main house." Mello was frowning at him.

"I'm making a guesthouse. For when friends want to come." Near answered, already completing his guest house.

Mello pursed his lips, then placed a bush beside the guest house. "We need to make our yard look nice."

Near nodded in agreement and stood up and walked over to the chest, pulling out plastic pieces of a fence. Mello resumed working on the house, pausing once in a while to see what Near was up to. He was making a little road and driveway, already having lined the yard with the fence.

"We need a car." Mello said.

Near brandished a black Hot Wheels car that looked more for racing. "Not very conventional, but it will have to do."

"I think it's awesome." Mello grabbed the car and set it on Near's road, driving it up to the complete house.

Near studied their work, curling a strand of his hair around his index finger. "I like Mello's house."

Mello's lips twitched upward. "Thanks. I like your guesthouse and fence."

It was that moment Near decided Mello was his friend. He knew the older boy didn't like him that much, but it didn't bother him. Near could see how well they worked together even when Mello didn't want to see it.

C, who had been building a tower of legos, stood and walked over to them. "C'mon, guys. It's almost time for dinner."

She held her hands out to them and they both grabbed one and walked out of the playroom together. Near looked back at their house and smiled slightly. Yes, he very much liked Mello.


	5. Death

**SecretAgentGirl S13- I'm glad you like it and thank you for the compliment ^^**

**MarvelLC- Just wanted to experiment a little with Mello and Near being friendly toward each other, glad you like it!**

**ImagineFun- Thanks! I enjoyed writing that =D**

**Jelly-Ben-Jr- Hehe, I try!**

**Holy cow, I can't believe how many reviews this has gotten! Anyway, to the story! I do not own Death Note!**

* * *

If there was one thing Near was good at, it was observation. And Mello was his favorite subject to observe. He watched the older boy from afar, even going so far as to follow him outside to watch him play soccer with the other boys. Soon, he learned Mello's mannerisms, his body language, every twitch in his body. Though Mello ignored him, Near still considered him a friend. It was all thanks to C.

Near had been at Wammy's for almost a year when Counterfeit was murdered and B, the orphanage's number one successor, disappeared. Near had not had the "pleasure" of meeting B, but he heard rumors about the fourteen year old from C and the older children. Apparently B had a perfect photographic memory, could read a nine hundred page book in thirty seconds, and had an affinity for jam. He was brilliant, but his sociopathic tendencies made him a questionable successor to L. He had glimpsed B once during lunch, those ruby eyes boring holes into his body. The much older boy leered at him and muttered something about "lifespan." C told him to ignore B and he put the encounter out of his mind.

It was a cool day in March, not quite warm enough for the children to venture outside to play. He was in the playroom as usual, making a spaceship out of legos. He kept shifting his position as though he couldn't get comfortable. He had felt restless all day. Faintly, he thought he could hear bells. He frowned lightly and rubbed his right ear when the tinkling sound of bells began to grow louder. It stopped.

Mello poked his head into the playroom, his eyes scanning over the room. He scowled and looked at Near. Near glanced at him and asked curiously, "Is Mello looking for something?"

"Have you seen C? I haven't seen her all day and she promised she'd take me out to get a book." Mello inquired.

Near shook his head. "No, I haven't seen her all day either. Can I come help you look?"

Mello didn't seem to keen on the idea, but he reluctantly agreed. Near stood, his spaceship abandoned, and shuffled along behind Mello as the blonde peered through every room the children had access to. They went outside, they asked the others, they even asked Roger. No one had seen her.

"Perhaps she is under the willow tree." Near suggested, twirling a piece of his hair with one hand and reaching for the back of Mello's shirt with the other.

Mello swatted his hands away from the umpteenth time and snapped, "We already checked there!"

They were heading to her room on the second floor. The hallway where her room was located was eerily silent. If Near could, he bet his hair would be rising like the hackles of a dog. He tried to reach for Mello's shirt again, only to be rejected.

"Something doesn't feel right...I don't like it." He muttered under his breath.

Mello didn't acknowledge his uneasiness, stopping in front of C's door. He banged on it and called, "C, come out! We wanna play with you!"

There was no answer. Near looked over his shoulder edgily. He felt like they were being watched. Mello scowled and banged harder on the door. "C!"

"She doesn't seem to be here. Let's go." Near murmured, looking around once more.

Mello ignored him and continued to bang on the door. Something warm touched their feet and the two looked down.

Near's eyes widened when he saw it was blood. Mello cried, "Counterfeit!"

He opened the door and the two stepped in more blood. Near saw C's lifeless, bloody body and felt his heart stop.

She was in worse condition than his mother had ever been in and there was so much blood. The walls and floor were saturated with it and he felt his socks soak up the crimson liquid greedily. The coppery scent made his stomach flip flop and his nose wrinkle. Tears came to his eyes, stinging them. A scream tore from Near's lips and his hands scrambled for Mello's shirt, clutching the black fabric in his shaking fists.

There was the sound of footsteps running down the hall toward them, startling the two boys. Mello spun around, his lips curled off his teeth in an animalistic snarl, ready to face whoever was rushing toward them. A teenager with wild black hair appeared and scooped them up, throwing them into the hall. For one terrifying moment, Near thought it was B until he saw gray eyes not unlike his own. The teen glanced into the room, his bottom lip quivering lightly despite his composed expression. He was just as shaken as Near and Mello were. Wammy made his way over to them, his face somber.

"Sir, I cannot find B."

"No, I didn't expect him to stick around after killing Counterfeit. Watari, please take these two to my room to wash their feet. I'll be up momentarily."

Near was surprised by the master-servant role being reversed by these two. Wammy, or rather Watari, nodded his head at the black haired boy and gestured to Near and Mello to follow him. Near continued to cling to Mello's shirt and Mello let him as they followed Watari to the room labeled, "L", leaving bloody footprints behind. The old man led them into the bathroom and gently requested, "Would you please sit on the edge of the bathtub?"

Mello shook Near's hands away and obeyed. Near followed a second later. Watari rolled his sleeves up past his elbows and grabbed a washcloth, dampening it with warm water. Near allowed Watari to take his ankle and wipe the blood off the bottom of his feet. He stared at the wall with a vacant expression, his mind playing back the scene of discovering C. Mello scowled lighty at Watari when he touched the prior's foot.

When both their feet were clean, they were taken to the living room. They both sat on the couch, Near clinging to Mello's arm tightly, while Watari prepared tea. Near looked up at Mello, noting the boy was looking a bit green. He shook his head when Watari offered him tea and Mello did the same. The teenager from before slouched in and sat across from them in a frog position.

"I apologize. I wish you hadn't seen that." He mumbled, taking a bite out of a chocolate bar.

Neither Near or Mello said anything, both wondering how the boy could be eating after seeing that carnage. The boy, noticing Mello staring at the chocolate, gave it to him, shoving a piece into his mouth. Mello coughed and choked, glaring at the boy.

"Who are you?" Near asked softly, still trembling from the ordeal.

The teenager looked at him and tilted his head to the side as though he had to think about his response. "I go by a lot of names. Ryuzaki, Hideki Ryuga to the public. To the world, I am Eraldo Coil, Deneuve, and L. I suppose here, I am L as well...Yes, call me L."

Mello's eyes widened in shock and he sat there, gaping. Near raised an eyebrow. He was surprised that this teenager was the world's greatest detective. L continued, "You two were very close to Counterfeit, weren't you?"

"C. She wouldn't like it if you called her that." Mello's voice cracked in the end. Near hugged his arm tighter.

L, though his expression was unreadable, nodded and asked in a subdued voice, "You were especially close to her, huh, Czar?"

Near looked at Mello curiously, who scowled and looked away. "It's Mello. What happened to C?"

L reached for a fruit kebab, sliding a piece of confection off the stick and into his mouth. He processed the question as he chewed. "I believe B deemed her time to be done and took matters into his own hands. Though...he could have killed her in a much more...peaceful way."

It nauseated him to hear someone think like that and he glowered at L, asking defensively, "How can you say that?"

"Easily. I am viewing it objectively. If you are to be my successor, you must view everything neutrally, no matter your feelings for it. I am sorry that she was killed, but letting your emotions rule your deduction is foolish and not to mention dangerous. Now, do either of you feel like you are to go into shock?"

Both shook their heads and L gestured to the door. "You may leave. I will send Watari to speak with you should you feel overwhelmed."

Mello and Near left the room, silently heading to their own rooms. Mello was in awe of L, he was greater than the young boy could have ever imagined!

"L's amazing..." He said aloud.

Near glared at him out of the corner of his eye. "He's socially inappropriate. He can't even mourn properly let alone relate to young children. It's impossible to think 'objectively' of the death of someone you care about, especially if they were murdered and you found their body."

Near went into his room and closed the door behind him, leaving Mello alone in the hallway. He was so tired and all he wanted to do was sleep. In his dark room, however, it felt strange. He had grown used to C reading him to sleep before giving him a goodnight kiss. He lived for those kisses. He tried to keep his mind busy by playing with his toys, but found he was too distracted. He kept remembering C's last words to him the night before.

_"I'm not going to be around forever, but know that I love you, Near. No matter what, nothing and no one can change that."_

Something hot and wet touched his hand and he touched his cheek, his fingers coming back wet. He rubbed his eyes, but more tears followed. He whimpered miserably at the thought of continuing on without C. She was the first and only person to ever say she cared about him.

It was the first time he ever thought about ending his life. Suddenly he felt terrified of being alone. He left his room and ran to Mello's room next door. He knocked frantically on it and fidgeted impatiently as he waited. Mello opened the door, all dressed for bed. His eyes were red and swollen and he wiped something that suspiciously looked like a tear off his cheek.

"What do you want?" He growled, glaring at Near.

Near sniffled and didn't bother hiding his tears. "C-can I sleep with you tonight, Mello? I don't want to be alone."

Mello gaped at him, startled by such a request. Near was scared he was going to say no, but then Mello moved to the side and jerked his head.

"Yeah, fine. But don't make a habit outta this, got it?" He grunted as Near walked past him into his room.

"I won't. Thank you, Mello." Mello shouldered past him and yanked the covers back from his bed.

Near got on top of the sheets while Mello burrowed deep beneath them and the quilt, rolling onto his side to avoid looking at Near. Near faced his back.

After a few minutes of silence, Near whispered, "Mello?"

"Whaddaya want?" Mello slurred sleepily.

"...Thank you."

"Don't mention it...Ever. Go to sleep."

Near pressed his forehead against Mello's back and murmured, "Goodnight, Mello."

"Yeah, yeah, goodnight."


	6. Curiosity

**Death-Note-Fan01- ^^ I try to write well, thank you for your review!**

**ImagineFun- O.O You know what's funny? I don't even remember typing that...MUST FIX! Thank you for pointing it out to me otherwise it would have remained there ^^"**

**Noriko- I'll leave how C's death up to your imagination (really, there is no right or wrong answer for it) as well as how L knew about B's "gift". My take of it, though, is L viewed B as being slightly insane and B might have mentioned to him that he can see others' life spans. But, that's just me. Like I said, there is no right or wrong answer for that since Ohba and Obata left it ambiguous.**

**Anyway, thanks for the reviews and such! I'm figuring there is going to be at least two or three more chapters, but I haven't come up with a proper ending quite yet. Enjoy!**

* * *

Not too long after C's death and B's disappearance, a red haired child by the name "Matt" came to Wammy's. He seemed to be a nervous fellow, always wringing his too large shirt in his hands, and he had a peculiar pair of goggles shielding his eyes. Near wasn't impressed with him, but Mello took to him instantly and soon the two were inseparable. This was around the time Roger decided the three of them were old enough to join the ranking system of Wammy's House. It only reminded Near of the sole reason he was allowed to stay at the orphanage: his potential.

He sat in the pre-Algebra class with Matt and Mello, chewing on his bottom lip uncertainly as he pondered the equation staring up at him. C had gone over math problems with him before, but they weren't nearly as advanced as this. He looked at Mello out of the corner of his eye to see how he was doing. The blond was confidently zipping through the problems, his fingers moving swiftly across his calculator. Matt was playing a video game under his desk, pausing once in a while to solve a question. Near let out an inaudible sigh and looked back at his own problems. He uncertainly plugged numbers into the equation and recorded his answer down on the paper.

Mello stood up and handed his quiz to the teacher, sending Near a snide look as he returned to his seat. Near hastily finished the rest of his quiz when he saw he had five minutes left.

"Alright, class, pass the remaining quizzes up to the front." The teacher said.

Near passed his forward and shuffled out of the room. "That was an awful quiz..."

"Aw, did the sheep fail?" Mello teased, elbowing him in the ribs.

Near cringed and rubbed his sore side, glowering at Mello. "No, I just didn't like it."

"Well, I think I got a hundred. C'mon, Matt. let's go." Matt squeezed past Near and followed the blond down the hallway, his nose still buried in his game.

Near went to the playroom, closing the door quietly behind him. A handful of children were in there playing together. Linda, one of the older girls, was playing a board game with two of the younger ones. She looked up when she heard the door and beamed at him.

"Hi, Near! Do you wanna play? We have room for one more player." She said, moving over to give him room.

He shook his head. "No, thank you."

She seemed a little put off, but shrugged a shoulder. "Suit yourself."

He sat down in his favorite corner and pulled out his puzzle. He began to solve it, finishing it in a few minutes. He had been getting better at them. Now, each click was methodical with no sporadic movements on his part. He was like a well oiled machine when it came to solving his beloved puzzles. That day, he grew slightly bored with the puzzled and put it away and pulled out a deck of cards. He had watched Mello attempt to make a card tower with them, but grew frustrated when they came crashing down after he tried setting up the third stack. Near got past the third stack and began to work on the fourth when he decided to eavesdrop on the other children's conversations.

A pair of girls were arguing over who would be the boy doll as they attempted to play "house" with each other. Three boys were playing with some of the toy cars scattered in the chests, and Linda was talking to a few of the older girls about a new kid coming to the orphanage. Near tuned in a couple sentences later.

"...blessing and didn't even have to take the entrance exam! She's supposed to be the new C! And I heard she lost her parents to BB."

His heart stopped and he walked over and tugged on Linda's sleeve. She looked down at him in puzzlement. He asked, "How old is she going to be? Do you know?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't. I think she might be around your age, though. Roger asked me to keep an eye on her, so I guess she's at least younger than me."

"Thank you." He walked off to tell Mello about this new "C."

He hadn't even turned down the hallway of the dorm rooms when he ran into Matt. The redhead remained standing, glowering at Near in annoyance, while the latter fell onto his bottom.

"You made me lose." He complained, pocketing his game to help Near back onto his feet. Near quickly pulled his hand away. He did not like to be touched. Not since C.

"I apologize." He didn't want to point out that Matt should have been paying attention to where he was going. "Do you know where Mello is?"

"In our room, studying. Why?" Matt adjusted his goggles.

Near didn't like Matt. He didn't want to tell him about the new C; he knew the gamer would run off and tell Mello before Near even had a chance to tell the blond. This may be the only chance he got to speak to Mello. Still...

Matt blinked behind his goggles, waiting for an answer. Had he been Mello, he probably would have voiced his impatience and not bother waiting for an answer if he wasn't interested enough. Matt was different. He was the more patient of the two. Either that, or he was afraid he would chase Near away should he snap at him before he heard why Near wanted to speak to Mello so badly.

"There is a new child coming soon. She apparently has L's blessing and he had her forgo the entrance exam. She is to be the new C. Oh, and B killed her parents. I figured Mello would be interested in hearing this. He might have another person 'stealing' his rank from him." Near said flatly.

Matt's lips twitched with amusement. "I'll relay the message to him. But, ah, I'm gonna leave out that last thing. Don't want him rearranging my face, you know?"

"Logically impossible." He answered lugubriously and sulked to his room, leaving Matt behind in the hallway.

* * *

He looked up boredly when he heard the door to the classroom open one December morning. In stepped a small girl with black hair and gray eyes, looking like a lamb who stepped into the lion's den. The teacher smiled kindly at her.

"You must be Cade. Would you like to solve the problem up on the board?"

She looked like she wished a hole would just form beneath her and swallow her up. She quietly requested for a chair to stand on as she could not reach the board, which got a chuckle out of everyone including Near. She didn't seem to be like the other girls, who he found to be loud and vain. He hardly even noticed the scar on her face, only staring at it when someone beside him called it to his attention.

She got the answer correct and the teacher nodded in approval.

"Very good work, Cade."

"Thank you," She murmured softly.

She sat behind him and he put her out of his mind when the teacher continued with his lesson.

His next encounter was the very next day. It had snowed the the children wanted to have a snowball fight. He was on Linda's team, not by his own free will, mind you, and he was to make the snowballs. He sat there in the snow, monotonously making snowball after snowball. Cade sat beside him and he said politely, "Hello, Cade."

"Hello, Near." She replied back and he was pleased to see she was giving him ample amount of space. Someone must have told her he was not fond of human contact.

Mello and Linda began to fight over the girl, much to Near's confusion. What was so special about her that made even Mello want her? Cade finally gave in to the blond's demands and went over to his team. The game began and no sooner had it started, a stray snowball hit him hard in the mouth. He didn't convey any pain, even as he spat blood onto the white snow, until he got to the infirmary. His face crumpled and he shed a few tears of pain before the nurse returned and he placed his stoic mask back on.

"Well, you lost one of your baby teeth, but other than that, it'll heal up nicely." She smiled at him and excused him.

Near didn't come out of his room for a few days. He didn't want anyone to see that ugly space where his tooth used to be. It made him feel imperfect, ugly.


	7. L

**Hasigami- Thanks for the tip! I rushed that chapter and I personally wasn't too happy with it, so I'm going to go back and redo it.**

**ImagineFun- Thanks! I'm definitely going to fill in the blanks.**

**More people favorited and alerted this story and my thanks go out to them and my reviewers! I do not own Death Note!**

* * *

"L is dead."

_Click._

Mello gasped and leaned over Roger's desk, screeching unintelligibly to Near as he focused solely on his puzzle.

_Click._

"M-Mello!" Roger and Cade's voice faded into each other.

_Clatter._

He dumped his completed puzzle, his eyes downcast. He could feel three pairs of eyes on him and he let his hair hide his face as he restarted his puzzle.

"If you can't win the game," _Click,_ "if you can't solve the puzzle,"_ Click,_ "then you're just a loser." _Click._

He knew how Mello would react, an angry flinch before turning his attention back to Roger. He was more interested in Cade's reaction. She had been quiet for the most part. He looked through his bangs to see how she was handling his words. She bit her lip as though holding back words and her gray eyes, so much like L's, darkened as she glowered at him. He had angered her.

Near didn't hate Cade. In fact, one might even say he liked her, but she was emotionally withdrawn. He liked poking her with a stick, so to speak. Ever since he discovered her relation with L, he began to poke her harder. He even tempted L, but the man seemed to have endless patience when dealing with his successors. Their personalities were the same, though Cade had a much shorter fuse than her brother, and their physical resemblance was uncanny. Near wondered if Mello even made the connection.

"So between me and Near, who did L choose?" His ears forced him back into the conversation.

_He already knows the answer, what is the point of asking?_ He thought.

"He didn't choose...Mello, Near, why don't you two work together?" Roger asked warily.

"Sounds good." Near answered, not even looking up from his puzzle. He had always wanted to work with Mello and he hadn't had an opportunity since that day in the playroom.

"It'll never work, Roger! You know Near and I don't get along. We've always competed against each other...always." Mello insisted.

Near frowned at his puzzle. He wanted to correct Mello and say their "rivalry" was one-sided. Perhaps if Mello didn't try so hard, he may even surpass Near. However, he held his tongue, knowing it would make the situation worse.

"You know what? It's fine. Near should be the one to succeed L. He's not like me; he never gets emotional. He just uses his head like its a game or a puzzle." Mello spat.

Near raised his head slightly, a white eyebrow raised. He never dreamed of hearing Mello giving up his aspiration of being L. Cade was staring out the window, her bottom lip quivering ever so slightly. Then, she turned her head and shot Mello a bemused look. He completed his puzzle a second time.

"As for me, I'm leaving this institution." A pair of jeans stormed past Near's crouched body.

His hand paused and he glared at his puzzle. How ungrateful. It was the first time he had ever felt resentment toward the blond. How could he call this place an "institution" as though he hadn't been raised there? As though he hadn't grown up here? Near didn't know what Mello's previous life had been, but he could very well picture him being the spoiled son of some big shot. He always had had a streak of thanklessness, but this, to Near, was unexcusable.

"Wait, Mello!" Once again, Roger and Cade protested in unison.

Mello didn't turn around. "Save your breath! I'm almost fifteen; it's time I started living life my own way."

He closed the door behind him and Roger made Near and Cade leave. They walked out together and Near made his knowledge of her known.

"You should be the one to succeed L; you are his blood after all."

She stared at him and he shuffled past her, heading to his room. He passed Mello's room, hearing Matt shouting at him. Their voices were muffled and he didn't care enough to stand there to eavesdrop.

He heard rain hitting the roof and looked out the window to watch the droplets slide down the glass. He stood uncertainly in the center of his room, an odd feeling of restlessness coming over him. He scratched his wrist. He suddenly felt itchy. He looked at his clothes in disdain, wondering when was the last time he changed them and irately realized his distracted mind wouldn't remind him. He took them off and decided to take a bath. He went into his bathroom, not bothering to close the door since he was the only one in there, and turned the bath knob.

_"He doesn't even know how to dress himself properly, let alone start a bath!"_ Mello's jeering voice filtered through his head.

Near didn't bother setting the record straight. What other people thought of him was no concern of him. He slid into the warm water, hugging his knees to his chest. He half heartedly pushed a yellow rubber duck in the water before deciding to wash up. His skin turned a sweet shade of pink from the heat of the water. From the other side of the wall, he heard someone storm down the hallway and another set of footsteps running. He quickly finished washing up and got changed into a fresh pair of pajamas, the cotton cool against his flesh.

Near poked his head out into the hallway just in time to see Matt round the corner, disappearing out of sight. His pounding footsteps faded out of earshot and Near chose to follow, gripping his sleeves between his fingers. As he walked, he noticed how silent the orphanage seemed that day. No children screaming, no idle conversations slipping out from beneath closed doors or corners. For a moment, he wondered if there had been a field trip or something and he, Matt, Mello, and Cade missed it. A boy a couple years younger than himself, Net, ran past him, shouting for his friends. The other orphans weren't gone; just playing hide and seek. It bothered him. The others didn't know their idol was dead, but he felt they had no right to know. After all, none of them could even hope to surpass him. Everything in his studies when it came to succeeding L were perfect. The rest of them were foolish fodder; copycats with no other purpose in life except to attempt to succeed L. Thunder cracked and the rain began to pour down harder than before. He paused at that last thought.

What was Near? He knew he was now L. Mello had given up his succession rights and Matt had no interest in being L. That left Near. He thought morosely,_ Twelve years old and already I am to be the world's greatest detective._ He had hoped he would succeed the original L when he was older. He began to walk again and didn't stop until he came to the foyer.

Matt was standing a few feet back from the front door, his back facing Near. He seemed to be wringing his hands, a nervous habit Near had noticed once before, and paced like a caged animal. The front door suddenly opened and in stepped a completely drenched Cade. Her clothes were plastered to her body, revealing just how skinny she really was, and her hair was dripping water onto the hardwood. She looked...lost. She looked over her shoulder as though hoping someone would follow her in. Matt stopped pacing and walked over to her.

"Where's Mello?" He asked anxiously.

Cade looked at him with a blank expression and murmured, "Gone."

She walked past him and Near hid in a closet, watching as she stumbled by. When she was halfway down the hall, he followed her until she was to her room. He pressed his ear to the door. For a few minutes, there was no sound, then he heard it. A heartbreaking sob. A hiccup and a miserable whimper. Near pulled back from her door and went to his room. He wouldn't intrude on her mourning over her brother and Mello.

He returned to his room and laid on his bed, staring out the window. He wasn't tired, but he didn't feel like playing with his toys. He couldn't get Cade's cry out of his head, the sound stuck on repeat.

"I hope you know what you are doing, Mello." He whispered to the dark. "Because if you don't, I'm going to be pissed at you for hurting Cade this much."

He was well aware of the feelings Mello held for Cade. That was why he could not understand how he could leave her and Matt- his supposed best friend- just like that. He knew Mello was selfish and vain, but he never thought he would be willing to leave behind the two people who care about him most in this world. Yet another reason Near was grateful he wasn't close to anyone, even if it was lonely at times. He, too, was selfish. He would rather sacrifice the chance to be close with someone than to entrust someone with his heart only to have them betray him.

Emotions were nothing more than detriments to his long term goal and he refused to be dragged into that.

That night, he dreamed of his mother, the killer, and his father, the undertaker.


	8. Scratch

**ImagineFun- Nope, that wasn't it. When Near calls his mother the killer, he is referring to his warmth, and his father is the undertaker because he "buried" Near's warmth, creating Near's aloof personality. I like your thought, though! It isn't necessarily wrong, just not what I had envisioned.**

**I've decided with this story, I'm going to continue right through the Kira case, all in Near's perspective, naturally. So, this is going to be quite a few chapters more. **

* * *

Near stared forlornly at the empty desk beside Matt and in front of Cade. It had been a week since Mello left and his absence was profound throughout the orphanage. The most obvious change was everyone moved up in rank, but the ranks no longer mattered. Roger informed the others of L's death and they held a ceremony in the cemetery out back. A headstone but no body to mourn or pay respects to. It was a cold ceremony and only Cade expressed the most grief. Matt had stood beside her, letting her cry into his jacket while he tightened his jaw. Near had stayed by the oak tree, clutching his robot to his chest.

Back in the classroom, Matt's head was resting on his desk, his eyes closed behind his goggles. Cade's chin dug into her arms, her eyes closed as well. Near felt a stir of pity for the pair. He doubted they had been getting much sleep as of late. The teacher seemed to feel the same way since he was letting them sleep, looking over at them once in a while. The bell rang overhead, waking the two up and they filed out with everyone else to go to lunch.  
Near returned to his room, not feeling very hungry, and listlessly started to build a city. As he worked, he thought of the burden he now carried. It was now up to him to solve the Kira case. He was annoyed when Roger told him he would have to start from scratch since all the data concerning the case had been deleted. He wasn't even certain where to start, so he looked at the killing patterns dating back from over a year ago and theorized Kira is, or was, located in Japan. That was as far as he had gotten so far.

He began to build Tokyo, recalling its structure from a postcard he and Mello had received once from L. His thoughts drifted to Mello and wondered where he was and what he was doing. Would he investigate this case as well? When he left, his intentions were ambiguous. For all Near knew, Mello was dead in a ditch somewhere. The thing that bothered him most about that, though, was that he was alone and anywhere in the world. No, Near thought, not anywhere.

"There are only three places where Mello could be. Japan, America, or Russia." He thought aloud, carefully making a road. So far, his buildings stretched above his head. He pushed one carefully and was pleased when it didn't sway. Sound in foundation and design.

Near began to imagine L sitting across from him in his frog like position, thumb toying with his bottom lip. _"What makes you think of those three locations?"_

"America because of the mafia. I've always thought he would join the criminal underworld sooner or later in life. But, that is only based on imaginings. Japan because he may be investigating the Kira case. I bet he has had Matt hack into L's files to peek at the case prior to their deletion. And Russia for the most obvious reason: that is where he is originally from. I've always heard the smallest hint of an accent in his voice."

Near shook his head and reprimanded himself for choosing to analyze Mello's possible whereabouts rather than building up his case. Earlier in the week, Roger had asked him if he was going to leave the orphanage as well. He said no.

"I am only twelve years old with no task force or group to help me. On top of that, I can't just go to the ICPO and announce I am the true successor to L when in truth, no one in the world except for us and the Japanese Task Force know of L's death. I must build up my case first and in three years, I will leave." He remembered saying.  
He pushed a car down the road thoughtfully. "The Japanese Task Force...yes, why didn't I think of that before? They were working under L and now one of them has taken his place to make the world continue to believe that L is still alive. L can't have placed his trust wholly on men he had just met, though. He must have at least enlisted the help of people he's known for a while, maybe even past Wammy members. If I were him I would have gone with...Wedy. Let's see, and Aiber is pretty much a package deal as well."

Near stood and stared at his replica of Tokyo with satisfaction. It looked like the postcard.

"I suppose I should concentrate on getting all the facts before settling on a suspect, but the Task Force. That is bothering me. I need to find out their identities and read their files. Only problem with that..." He shot a glare at his computer. "I have no idea how to work a computer."

He instantly thought of Matt and went to look for the gamer. He checked the dining hall, but he wasn't there. He went up to Matt's room and knocked.

A depressed, "Come in," came from the other side of the door and he pushed the door open.

Matt was slumped on the ground, his video game controller laying abandoned beside him. To Near's mild surprise, Cade wasn't in the room. Matt looked up, his expression flat.

"What do you want?" He asked not unkindly, but with enough coolness to make Near a bit wary.

"Hello, Matt. I was wondering if you would do a favor for me?"

"That depends on what the favor is." The redhead responded snidely.

"It has to do with computers."

"Then I'm in." Matt stood up and rubbed his hands together in eagerness. "Just show me the computer and I'll do whatever it is you want."

"Follow me." Near exited Matt's room and went across the hall to his own room.

Matt sat in front of Near's computer and turned it, glaring at the albino. "Jesus, when was the last time you used this thing? There's a thick layer of dust on it!"

"I don't recall ever using it." Near replied, earning himself a shake of a head from the older boy.

"Whatever, what do you want me to do on it?"

Near explained to him that he wanted him to hack into the Japanese Task Force's files and pull out anything and everything he came across. Matt clucked his tongue and cracked his neck.

"I dunno, man, it could be difficult. If L was working with them, then no doubt they had top of the notch security. I mean, I'm talking about wormholes, trojan horses, hard as hell firewalls, and- I'm in." Matt leaned away from the computer, smirking arrogantly.

Near had to give credit when it was due. "That went much faster than I thought. Thank you, Matt, I greatly appreciate your computer skills."

Matt gave him a funny look and stood up. "Uh, you're welcome. Oh, and don't worry about them detecting you. If they do and try to pinpoint your IP address, I've set up a little surprise for them. Just close the files when you're done with them."

Near nodded and Matt showed himself out. He turned to the computer and scanned over all the names, surprised that only a handful of men were serving as the Task Force. He thought there would be more than five men.

"Now that I know more about the Task Force, I can begin to focus more on the MO. Kira is a single person and kills only criminals, hinting at a higher, albeit warped, sense of justice. He has been killing global criminals, a feat physically and realistically impossible. Therefore, there might be something supernatural occurring."

Near liked to think his deductions were perfect, or at the very least, accurate. Never once could he recall being wrong about a deduction and took pride in that. So when he deduced the case was supernatural, he believed that with every fiber in his being.


	9. SPK

**ImagineFun- Ooh, I really wanna see that movie!**

**I do not own Death Note!**

* * *

The seasons passed and with them, so did wasted time. When the end of 2010 came around, Mello's whereabouts were still unknown, Matt and Cade were permanently stuck in despair, and Near was ready to leave the orphanage. Granted, he was still too young, having reached the age of fifteen just a few months earlier, but the world could wait no longer. With Kira unchallenged, criminals died at alarming rates and as L's successor, it pissed him off that justice was no longer being upheld. Left and right, countries were giving in, even the world powers. And now he, a teenager, was expected to challenge a supposed "god" and his crazy fanatics and survive. He felt like he was in the lions' den. At least he wasn't alone, though.

Just over a year ago, he contacted the FBI and told the head of the FBI, Steve Mason, everything he knew about the Kira case as well as the fact that the current L was an imposter. He didn't tell Mason his identity initially, wanting to build up a rickety bridge of trust before telling him his name and that he was the rightful successor to the title of L. It took a while, but Mason trusted him enough to allow him to use some of his agents, of Near's choosing of course, and form a task force of sorts.

"Hello, Mr. Mason. I trust you have set up a headquarters like I asked?" He said into the phone he was currently holding up to his ear, twirling a strand of his hair.

"Yes and I've my top agents prepared to work under you, as promised. One of them will be coming to pick you up and take you to the airport to fly to the United States." Mason replied on the other end.

"Thank you." Near hung up and placed the phone back on Roger's desk.

The old man stared at him, his hands folded in front of him. "You're certain you are ready for this, Near?"

"Yes. I cannot wait any longer. I am heading to the United States to speak with the President. An agent will be here shortly to escort me." He answered, hugging some of his favorite toys to his chest. He was not about to go to a foreign country without something familiar to him.

Roger nodded his head in understanding. "Alright. End this case for everyone's sake."

Near turned and left the office, running into a burly chest. A large hand grabbed him before he could fall. He cringed at the contact and swatted the hand up, looking up at the face of an alarmingly tall blond haired man.

"Excuse me, young man. Could you tell me who Near is?" He asked, his American accent strange sounding to Near.

"I am he." He resisted smiling at the confounded look on the man's face.

"Erm, You? I-I mean, how old are you?"

"Seventeen." Near answered flatly, knowing full well he didn't look his age. At best, he looked twelve.

"I was just expecting-"

"I know. Shall we go? I'd rather get speaking to the President over with." Near cut him off, shoving his toys into the man's arms.

The man gaped at the toys before nodding. "Uh, sure. My name's Anthony Carter."

"Ah, I recall Mr. Mason speaking about you before. He thinks quite highly of you." Near led the way out of the orphanage and got into the waiting taxi cab with slight reluctance. He had hoped they would have a more private vehicle.

As though sensing Near's mild disappointment, Anthony apologized, "I'm sorry I wasn't abe to get a private vehicle; I lacked the funds. When we're on the plane, we could dis-"

"I don't have anything to say to you." Near interrupted him rudely, gazing out the window.

Anthony looked somewhat hurt, though more indignant than anything else. They sat in silence for the twenty minute ride to the airport. The plane ride was also silent, with Near staring with a bored look out the window where all the clouds were. The sky blended with delicious shades of red, orange, and pink, reminding Near of sherbet. He didn't care for sweet things, but sherbet was the one exception. While on the outside he seemed bored of staring out the window, inside he was in awe. Never before had he seen such colors, never took the care to watch a sunset. He had always been studying or playing with his toys. Beside him, his escort snored lightly. Near liked him, despite being rude to him before. Anthony seemed like a very trustworthy man and Near decided that he would request for Anthony to work beneath him should his meeting go well.

Nearly six hours later, they landed in Washington, D.C. and Near stretched his sore legs. A bald middle aged man in a crisp suit walked over to where Anthony and Near boarded off. He wasn't much taller than Near and was portly, with piggy, cowardly eyes, and a gray mustache. Near knew who the man was as soon as he saw him and felt his second disappointment of the day. This man seemed to have no backbone. He hoped the leader of the country would be different.

"Near? Agent Carter, are you-"

"Yes. I am Near. I understand my appearance may come as a bit of a...surprise, but I hope it will not affect our business." Near cut him off, beginning to sound annoyed. They better be able to see past his physical disadvantage and focus on his intelligence.

"Yes, of course. I am Director Mason. Are you ready to present your case to the President? You don't have any files with you or anything." Mason was eyeing him suspiciously now, as though he himself was questioning Near's preparedness.

Near nodded and tapped his temple with his index finger. "My files are all up in here. I have a rather potent eidetic memory."

Mason and Anthony, pretending they understood what he had just said, nodded slowly before ushering him to a black car. To his pleasure, it was just the three of them in there. Anthony got in the driver's side and headed for the White House while Near and Mason spoke with each other.

"Have you thought of what you would say to President Hoope?" Mason inquired.

Near wrapped a curl around his finger. "Yes. I am confident he will see things my way and grant me my request. However, before I speak to him, I would like for you to tell him some key things."

Mason leaned forward with interest. "Oh? And what are these 'key things?'"

"I'll choose to ignore your condescending tone. Please keep in mind that I am seventeen years old, despite not looking it physically. I would appreciate it if you speak to me like an adult." The older man's face flushed with offense, but didn't say anything. Near continued, "Once we get past introductions, I want you to tell President Hoope the current L is a fake created by the Japanese Task Force to prevent the world from falling into chaos. You are to inform him the real L is dead and the murders were done by a notebook."

"H-how do you know about the killer notebook?! No one outside the Task Force and the FBI are supposed to-"

"I hacked into the files of the Task Force and several times a 'killer notebook' was mentioned." He interrupted Mason's sputtering, finding the trait to be cumbersome. "Do you agree to inform the President of these things?"

Mason pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face. "I-I do, but may I ask why can't you tell the President?"

"I am a foreigner and a 'child' with no records of any sort. That includes criminal records. For all he knows of me, I could be a pathological liar, or at the very least delusional. But, if you were to tell him these things, it would make it seem more believable. I do not want the President think I am insane by spouting out nonsense of a killer notebook. You tell him and he will want confirmation of a third party, i.e., me." He explained, tugging his finger free of the curl he had been twirling.

"I understand." Mason stuffed his handkerchief back in his pocket as the car pulled to a stop in front of the White House.

Near got out of the car and looked at the building._ Here goes nothing. Hopefully, things will go all according to my plan._

* * *

If the man standing before him wasn't the leader of an entire country, Near could have slapped him. Never had he felt such anger at the blatant disrespect he received. President Hoope demanded Director Mason "what the meaning of bringing an adolescent boy to talk about the Kira case" was. Near sat in his chair, his knee pulled up to his chest, in silence. He chose to keep his mouth shut and observe the two in a one sided argument with Mason too timid to really stand up to his boss. He gathered Hoope was a good man, stressed, but good. He seemed to want what was best for his country, but that didn't excuse his complete disregard of Near solely because of how young he seemed to look. When things finally calmed down thanks to Anthony, Mason presented Near's case.

"Mr. President, the first thing you need to know is that the current L is an imposter created by the Japanese Task Force. The real L died nearly five years ago and this new L was put in his place to prevent the world from panicking."

Hoope gaped at the Director of the FBI before turning his attention to Near. "I-is that true?"

"Yes, everything he said is true. On November 5, 2007, L pursued Higuchi and cornered him within forty minutes. L warned the police not to get near Higuchi since it was highly likely he still had the ability to kill." Near began to twirl a strand of his hair, thinking back to the file where he had read that information.

Hoope sank back into his chair behind his desk. "Do you think he killed with a notebook?"

"Prior to being arrested, Higuchi's car was bugged and several times he mentioned a notebook and being able to kill by writing someone's name in it. After Higuchi had been detained, his car was searched as well as the briefcase in the passenger seat.

"So that's what you think this notebook is?"

"That's right. At this point, the Japanese police should have it in their possession."

Mason piped in, "Sir, Near began his own investigation with no access to evidence; all he's saying his from his own research."

Hoope stared at Near with a look of awe. Near resisted smirking, knowing it would set him back from his goal.

"Director, who is this boy?"

Near looked out the window to stare at the Rose Garden, resting his left hand on his knee. His expression conveyed boredom, but internally he was very much interested in how Mason would respond to Hoope's question.

"He is the rightful successor to the name of 'L.'"

Near turned to look at the President now, meeting his gaze. "Mr. President, I have told you everything I have uncovered through my own findings. I appreciate you listening with an open mind and would like to make a request."

"Yes, of course, what is it that you want?" Hoope leaned forward with eagerness, suddenly more willing to work with him.

"I want to create a faction consisting of FBI and CIA agents to investigate the Kira case. It will work independently from the Japanese Task Force for obvious reasons. I will be the head of the faction. The number of agents will be few to maintain secrecy. Only elite agents will be permitted to join with me." Near said.  
Hoope paused for a moment, considering the request. "Alright, I will allow this. We will need about a week to pick out agents. I already have a few in-"

"If I may interrupt, Mr. President." Puzzled, the President nodded and Near continued, "With all due respect, I do not put much faith in the recommendations of others; I prefer to make my own decision over their character. Regardless if they are considered 'elite' by you or by the Director, I will decide if they are or not."

Mason and Hoope exchanged a look before permitting that as well. Near smiled slightly. "Good. We will begin at once. Oh, and concerning their real names. They will have to have an alias as well. Mr. Carter."

Anthony, who had been silently standing by the doorway, straightened up in alarm at the sound of his name. "E-er, yes, uh...sir?"

"I would like for you to join this faction."

Astounded, Anthony nodded. Near stood up. "One agent down, several more to recruit."

A week later, Near stood before the group of FBI and CIA agents, now under his control, head tilted to the side as he regarded them. He immediately dismissed several who stared at him with utter disdain. In order for this to work, his agents had to accept he was their superior. Even Mason had accepted that, though he had seen just what Near was capable of. He stared hard at one of them. He didn't look like much, with plain brown hair and even plainer eyes, but their was something devious about him. His alias didn't help with Near trusting him. He went by the name of Ill Ratt. Near thought he looked like a rat.

"Congratulations: all of you are now part of the SPK. Let us try our best to bring Kira to justice." Near said dully, sounding anything but enthused.

All the agents nodded and went to their respective stations to being work. Near looked at the floor, then opted to sit in a chair, staring at the multiple screens in front of him. He needed to think of a plan, but his mind wandered. He almost missed Wammy's House. Its familiarity, not anything else. The children there were nothing to him and they didn't care for him anyway. These agents didn't like him either, so at least that was somewhat familiar only this time, these were adults. He glanced at the table in the center of the room where his dice lay scattered. At least he had his toys.


	10. Imposter

**ImagineFun- Actually, I have no clue on how long this is going to be ^^"**

**Do not own Death Note!**

* * *

Near spun around in his chair boredly, studying the blinking screens. It had been months since anything interesting happened and even that wasn't saying much. They hadn't found out anything more since their creation. He was working on a plan, his toys scattered on the table.

"Mr. Rester?" He called over his shoulder to Anthony, his alias now Anthony Rester.

Rester was by his side in a moment. "Yes, sir?"

Near liked him and his willingness to do whatever Near asked of him. He had come to an understanding with Rester, giving him the sense he had someone who was truly on his side.

"Could you please get me something to eat? I'm beginning to get a bit hungry." He requested.

Rester nodded and left the room, coming back a few minutes later with an apple. Near took it appreciatively and sank his teeth into the red skin. While he chewed, he contemplated possible courses of action before finally settling on one.

"John McEnroe, could you come over here?" He stopped spinning and turned around to face his agents.

John walked over to him, looking bemused. Near said, "I want you to fly to Japan and ask for the notebook."

"Huh? I'm just supposed to ask for it? What if they refuse?" John sounded even more confused.

"If they refuse, then we will find other ways to get the notebook. I believe Kira still has access to it. Still, maybe if you ask politely, they will hand it over to you. Please head over there right away; I've already set up a flight for you."

John scratched his head, but nodded. "Alright." He walked out of the room.

Mason asked, "That's your plan?"

"For now, yes. McEnroe will have a mic on him so that we may hear what he is saying once he gets to Japan. I want to get a feel of the police there before I decide anything else. If all goes according to plan, we may even be able share information with them. Right now, we have to wait." Near rolled over to his table and began to stack up dice.  
He didn't move from his spot until thirteen hours later when McEnroe contacted Rester.

"Sir, McEnroe's waiting in the office of the director of the NPA." Rester said.

Near grabbed a headset and placed it on his head. "Thank you, Rester. Now, we just listen in."

Near listened to McEnroe introduce himself to someone who wasn't Directer Takimura. McEnroe paused to hear Near.

"It's okay." Near affirmed.

"Yes, that's fine. Forgive me, but the Japanese police has proven itself unreliable. In order to solve the Kira case, we ask that you hand the notebook over to us."

The other man suddenly snapped, "So it was the FBI who kidnapped the Director, is that it?! Where have you taken him?!"

Near raised an eyebrow and fingered his hair. Beside him, Rester and Gevanni, another agent, exchanged a look of surprise.

"What are you talking about?" McEnroe sounded like he was struggling, his voice indignant.

"Don't act like you don't know! Kidnapping is a serious criminal offense!"

"What would the FBI gain by kidnapping the director of the NPA?!"

"And how do you know about the notebook?!"

"What the hell is going on?" Rester asked from beside Near.

Near didn't say anything at first, frowning slightly. "It would seem that the Director has been taken by someone. Specifically, someone who wants the notebook. Alright, Commander Rester..."

Rester looked at him. "Hmm?"

"Pass this message through our agent. Suggest to the Japanese police we would like to assist in recovering the director of the NPA. We'll take the notebook when the opportunity arises." Near stated.

Rester nodded. "Roger that. Attention, this is headquarters. We have new orders for you."

Near continued to finger the lock of hair. He had a strong hunch on who it was who kidnapped the Director. He felt a slight twinge of annoyance. Only Mello would be that reckless. Still, he was relieved to an extent that Mello was still alive and in fact working on the case.

* * *

It seemed no sooner had they come to an agreement, Rester informed him that Takimura had been killed. He had been working on a match tower and didn't falter even as he heard the news._ It wouldn't make sense for Mello to kill his own hostage, so safe to say, Kira did it. Which also means, Kira is on the police force as they were the only ones except for us to know about the kidnapping. Takimura's death is rather useful..._

"I see. By whom?" He was curious to see if his agents would come to the same conclusion as he did.

"By whom?" Rester repeated in confusion. "Why, the kidnappers of course."

"It would be interesting if Kira killed him." Gevanni thought aloud. Near was pleased.

"That's a very good point. The Japanese police would be unable to make the trade with the hostage dead, saving Kira's interest. And if it is Kira, we can narrow down our list of suspects significantly. By the way, Commander Rester, have you been able to locate his whereabouts?"

At the last sentence, Near held up an old photo of Mello from when he was around twelve. Ever since he suspected Mello had a part in the kidnapping, he asked Rester to see if he could find him.

"No, nothing beyond him leaving the Institution four years ago." Rester replied, his hands folded neatly behind his back as he gave his report.

"Very well. That clinches it." He glared at the photo with disdain. He was irritated by Mello's disregard of getting rid of every photo in existence of him. His emotions still were getting the better of him.

"Gevanni, please tell Mason to come here so that I may relay to him our findings." He requested.

"Yes, of course." Gevanni pulled out his cell phone and dialed Mason's number. After a few moments of ringing, he said, "Director Mason, Near wants to speak with you. Please some to the surveillence room."

Near parked his chair in front of the dartboard he had Gevanni set up. He wasn't very good at them when he was talking, but he needed the distraction from Mason's piggy eyes. He found them to be a bit unnerving. Mason entered the room a few minutes later and Near brought him up to speed, aiming a dart as he did so. He threw it and it bounced to the floor.

"So you're telling me it was Kira who killed Takimura and not the kidnappers?" Mason demanded.

"I'm simply putting it forward as a possibility. If it turns out to be true then Kira is getting his information via the Japanese police."

A little more to the left. The dart clattered to the floor, bouncing harmlessly off the corner. He could feel Mason's eyes boring into the side of his head, but he chose to pretend he couldn't feel it. It was quiet in the room for a few heartbeats before Mason's phone rang. With a sigh, he took it out of his pocket and opened it.

"Yes?"

"This is L." Near looked over at the sound of the scrambled voice.

Mason gaped at his phone in astonishment before covering the speaker to mutter to Near, "I don't believe it. It's L."

Near didn't respond, too angry hearing that scrambled voice. It was mediocre at best compared to the true synthesizer L had used.

"I've already heard what Investigator John McEnroe, or rather Larry Connors, had to say to Deputy Directory Yagami in regards to the notebook and the Kira case. Will you help us with the investigation and avenge Director Takimura's murder?"

Near picked up another dart while Mason said, "I see. Well-"

Near held out his pale hand, balancing the dart upwards between his index and middle finger. He still didn't look at Mason. "Pass me the phone."

Mason did so without hesitation. Near hooked it up to his own voice scrambler and flicked the switch to turn the scrambler on. He put the phone to his ear. "I'm pleased to meet you at last, 'L Number Two'."

"'Number Two?' What do you mean by that? Who is this?" Even through the scrambler, Near could tell the imposter was upset.

"There's really no point in trying to hide it. We are a new organization known as the SPK, or the Special Provision for Kira. We were established to find and capture Kira without the help of L. Furthermore, seven of our top members know of L's death. As for myself, I am at the center of the SPK. You can address me as N." Near kept his tiny smile to himself. He hoped this L would be interesting.

He paused to let what he said sink in before adding, "I told you that we wouldn't rely on L, but that's a bit of an understatement. The FBI and CIA have explicitly asked that I take control of this investigation and not you. Having said that, we are outraged by the murder of the director of the NPA and feel something must be done. After revealing the information, I believe there's a possibility solving this case may end with Kira in handcuffs. as such, I am willing to lend you my full support."

L didn't say anything and Near smirked. He asked patronizingly, "Is something wrong, L?"

"N-no. It's just that following the death of Takimura, Deputy Director Yagami's daughter was kidnapped and we believe the same person is responsible. He's arranged for a trade in Los Angeles."

Near tilted his head to the side. "A trade? The girl for the notebook, I assume."

"Yes."

"I understand. I'll have a team on standby in L.A., but for now they will be working on a need-to-know basis. Also, I can look at the city via satellite." Then, a thought struck him. "Or...on second thought, I'll let you have full control on this L." He hung up abruptly and handed the scrambler to Rester and Mason his phone.

Rester asked, "Near, is it really safe to leave this in the hands of the fake L. He hasn't had any success catching Kira so far."

Near rolled his head. His neck was beginning to get stiff. "I'm aware of that. That's why it's a good idea. It means it'll be an opportunity to take advantage of him. Of course, saving people's lives is more important, but as the SPK, our primary goal is clear. We get the notebook and capture Kira once and for all."

He remembered the dart he had in his hand and aimed once more. More to the right this time. He let it go and watched it strike dead center.


	11. Daredevil

**So, I was looking back at this story and realized I left out a whole chapter T.T I am so sorry! Here's the chapter! Also, I've started to work on the updated versions of this story, Game On, and L'amour Pur. They should be posted sometime in the next month or so**

* * *

The day after Near spoke to the imposter L, the ball began to roll. He was stacking dice after dice when L called Mason again. Mason put the phone on speaker and an unscrambled voice filtered through.

"N, I'm sure you are aware of the situation. I need you to do me a favor. Can you notify the airlines, police, and military not to take any action yet?" The voice was young, masculine, and arrogant, though at the moment, it sounded impatient. Clearly, the owner of the voice did not like having little to no control over a situation. When he heard the voice, Near hated it.

Rester snorted. "What's he thinking? I didn't realize he was this unreliable."

Near thought to himself as he adjusted a die. _Rester needs to keep in mind this L lacks the funds the original had. Of course he will be a little more unreliable._ Out loud, he agreed, "Alright, L. Agreed. We'll keep the plane in sight and satellite in the area as live video feed."

As a last thought, he added sarcastically, "If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to let us know."

L hung up and Near continued making his dice tower. The more he thought about this L, the more suspicious he became of him. _His position seemed almost too convenient-_

"Near, the plane has just landed in the desert and Soichiro Yagami has gotten off." Rester informed him, tearing him from his thoughts.

He turned to look at the monitor when a door opened up from underground.

"He's going underground?!" Rester exclaimed.

Near smiled, amused. "Well, well, isn't that interesting?"

_There's no doubt about it: Mello is behind this. He must have considered the possibility of us watching from the satellites and planned accordingly. I do have to give them that: he certainly thinks of everything._ Near silently praised his rival in his head.

He touched the phone sitting in front of him and smirked loftily. "L, do you have a plan? You can't seriously think handing the notebook over to someone you don't know is a good idea, can you?"

L didn't respond and Near's smirk widened. "Well, it seems like you are stumped, huh, L?"

A few minutes later, Soichiro reappeared with Sayu in tow, his jacket over her shoulders. A man wearing a mask ran to a helicopter.

Mason said, "Our intel says that's his only mode of transportation."

Near looked at the monitors showing the man getting into the helicopter. Something didn't seem right about it. _If Mello had thought so far ahead as to get an underground facility, surely he must have two types of transportation?_ "So that means we know for certain that the notebook has been exchanged."

He frowned in disapproval. _Surely L has a plan to get the notebook back? I may have been condescending earlier, but my question was not asked in jest. If he doesn't do anything to attempt to get the notebook back, either he's too complacent or simply incompetent._

"Be careful; we still don't know what they're planning to do at this point. N, I need you to maintain surveillance of that helicopter until it lands. Don't lost sight of it no matter what."

Near watched the monitors. "You seem to think that's an easy task. Nevertheless, we'll do what we can."

It was an easy task, at least for Near, but he didn't want L to think he was totally willing to do what was asked of him. Suddenly, a movement in one of the monitors caught Near's eye.

"I'm sorry, but we've been tricked."

The ground opened up once more and a missile loomed into sight. Near blinked, his eyes widening a centimeter. He was impressed, both with the missile and Mello's strategy. Next time he saw the blond he would have to tell him he actually tricked Near. _Mello truly thought of everything..._

"There's no way we'll be able to track that with the radar." He said impassively. He wondered how much L was sweating now.

Near considered the probability the notebook was actually in the missile. It was nearly a hundred percent and besides that, it was the most logical choice. Why put such a valuable item in a traceable helicopter?

The missile launched into the sky and Near turned back to his dice city. _The building in the left could be a little higher..._

"The missile's been launched!" Gevanni declared.

Near didn't say anything. He knew when he was beaten. The helicopter was suddenly obliterated.

"Near, the helicopter-" He looked back at the monitor. _The missile it is._

"I thought so."

Gevanni glowered at the screens. "Damn! That means we can't track it! We've lost the signal; it could be anywhere by now!"

The surveillance room was silent as Gevanni, Rester, Mason, Near, and another agent, Halle, regarded the screens. Near stared at the United States. He continued to build his version of New York City, holding a die in his hand.

_It won't be difficult to retrieve the missile when it lands in a deserted area. Whoever laid out the flight plan accordingly should be getting his hands on the notebook any moment now. When he does, I have a good idea of what he'll do next._ He reached out to put his die on top of a tower and accidentally knocked it over.

Beside him, Mason groaned and collapsed onto his back. More dice fell and so did the agents. Ill Ratt held a gun up to his head, the rest just died of heart attacks. It was only Near, Rester, Gevanni, and Halle left. He didn't move from his chair, his expression stern. He hugged both knees to his chest with one arm and reached over to contact L.

"L." He didn't bother with the voice scrambler. It didn't make a difference.

"Yes?"

"...He got us."

"Got you?" L sounded puzzled.

"Yes. The majority of the SPK have just been killed by the notebook. L, you were the one to hand over the notebook without a fight; you and your people were totally helpless." He let his tone take an accusing edge.

L heard it. "N, are you saying that if you were in command, you wouldn't have handed it over?"

_Yes. That girl means nothing to me. You must stay objective in investigations, even if it means innocent lives are lost. At least they died for a worthy cause: justice._ "No. Considering their preparations, it would have been impossible to avoid this. There's really no point to this quarreling. I propose we work together and share information we have both gathered. For starters, I should admit that I have a very good idea who the culprit behind this would be."

L gasped quietly on the other end. He continued, "I suspect the person who arranged the kidnapping and the trade is someone who goes by the name 'Mello.'"

"'Mello?' Who's he?" L repeated, curiosity evident in his voice.

"I don't have his photograph and I don't know his real name. All I know about him is that four years ago he was living at an orphanage located in Winchester, England known as 'Wammy's House.' I believe Mello is playing a game with me. He wants to see which of us will take down Kira first: the final challenge. That is all I am willing to disclose of the matter. Until you need me again, L." Near hung up and started his dice tower from scratch.

He grew bored with the tower and turned to look at his remaining agents. Gevanni and Rester were talking quietly amongst themselves in a corner. Halle was sitting nearby, looking quite shaken. He rolled his chair over to her.

"Are you feeling alright, Halle? I understand what has just transpired is a bite shocking." He started to say. He didn't want what few resources he had left to have to quit because of PTSD.

"I-I'm fine, but, I'm just wondering...why me? Why wasn't I or Gevanni or Rester killed?" She looked up at him, her hands shaking.

"I don't know. Perhaps he only wanted to cripple our investigation just enough. He only wants his victory to be fair." Near answered honestly before rolling back to the dice tower.

_Well, that was a partial lie. I know why he kept Lidner alive and that is because she is a woman. Had there been another woman here, then her chances of survival would be diminished significantly. Sooner or later, he plans on confronting me, or at least, blackmail one of my agents and who is better to overpower than a woman? As for Rester and Gevanni, I may have to ask him that myself...When I get the chance._


	12. Tourniquet

Near glowered at the plate of spaghetti Halle had put in front of him. It wasn't that he didn't like spaghetti, he was rather fond of it actually, but he wasn't hungry.

"I don't want it." He said stubbornly.

Halle scowled at him. "You haven't eaten in almost two days."

He tried to stand up, but Rester pushed down on his shoulders, making him sink back into his chair. He glared up at the older man. "I am your superior and I am ordering you to release me."

"Sorry, sir, but Halle is a lot scarier than you are." Rester muttered, looking away from Near.

Near sighed and reluctantly picked up the fork, shoving a large amount of it into his mouth. It was still rather hot, his eyes watering slightly, but the tomato sauce made up for it. He swallowed it and took a deep breath. He stared at Halle, who was smiling at him. It had been a little over a month since the SPK members were killed. In that time, Halle had taken to making food for him and bringing it in with her. He didn't mind, she was an exceptional cook, but he had the appetite of a bird and all that food was too much for him. He almost regretted being kind to her since she had decided to be a maternal figure to him. The concept was foreign to him as his own mother had never been even remotely maternal.

"Are you satisfied?" He asked rhetorically.

She nodded and took the plate away. Rester let go of Near's shoulders and grunted when the latter kicked him in the shin.

"That's for holding me down." He grumbled childishly, grabbing his robot.

A phone started to ring and he turned around to see Halle taking her cell phone out of her pocket.

"E-erm, hello?" She asked uncertainly, clearly not knowing who it was she was speaking to.

Then, her eyes widened. "Mello's hurt?"

Near straightened up and held his hand out for the phone. Wordlessly, Halle handed it to him and he put it to his ear. "This is Near."

"It's Matt. Listen, I just got a call from Mello saying he blew up his hideout and now he is seriously hurt; that fucking Japanese Task Force came after him. I can't get to him because I'm in Japan. I've booked a flight to return to the States, but it'll still take me over thirteen hours to get there." His voice was breathless, rushed, as though he had been running.

"Where is he located?" Despite the fast paced thrumming of his heart, his voice remained level.

"1498 West Avenue; it's an apartment building. They're located on the third floor, apartment 209. Los Angeles."

He nearly dropped the phone. Beside him, Rester fidgeted nervously, looking at him. "...That is problematic. You see, I am currently located in New York."

"SHIT! S-so, now what? Am I supposed to just sit here and let him die?! Can't you do something?!" Matt's voice had taken a panicked edge.

Near bit his lip, thinking hard. _All my agents are dead save for the ones in the room with me. I suppose I could contact the hospi-No, that won't work, either. Damn Mello, if he had just saved a few more agents, I might have been able to help...No, maybe there is something I can do._

"Thank you for notifying me, Matt. I'll do what I can."

"Huh? Wait, Nea-" Near hung up the phone and gave it to Halle.

Rester asked, "What are we going to do? Are we going to let him die?"

"No." He stood and went to his personal computer, logging on quickly. He pushed a button and waited, twisting a curl as he did so.

An annoyed voice filtered through. "Ugh, Near, you better have a good reason for contacting me. Do you have any idea how late it-"

"Avon. Stop complaining and listen to me. You are currently located in Los Angeles, correct?"

The voice, hoarse and deep, growled. "What's it to ya?"

"Mello is injured in the area. 1498 West Ave, second floor, apartment number 209. Please save him. Two of my agents will go to your location and take them off your hands. I trust Noxa is with you as well, so-"

"Fine." Avon cut him off with a noisy sigh. "But, I'm not doing this because you're asking me to. I don't know how the fuck you even found me, but if I do this, you owe me."

"Yes, of course." Near nodded his head.

"Six hours. No more than that. Your guys don't show up, I'll just dump him in an alley somewhere." Avon hung up and Near turned around.

"Rester, Gevanni, please fly to Los Angeles. That threat of his, unfortunately, was not idle." He commanded.

"Yes, sir, but why are you going to such lengths to-" Both men were silenced by a rather fierce glare from their young superior.

"I do not like repeating myself. Go now." He responded shortly.

The two men quickly exited the room, leaving Halle and Near alone. Near sighed and rubbed his eyes. His eyelids were beginning to feel heavy. When was the last time he had slept? He couldn't remember. It was ridiculous, in his opinion. He had never been one to sleep that much, but ever since he took on the case, his usual six hour a night turned into three. It wasn't like the Kira case was going anywhere, so why couldn't he sleep?

"N-Near, the man who called me...how did he get my number?" Halle's suddenly asked.

"I imagine he hacked into our database and found the first number he saw. He's a technological genius, after all." He stood up, the vertebrae popping back into place as he stretched.

"What should we do?" She inquired, wringing her hands.

"For now, nothing but wait. It's all we can do. I suppose Mello blowing up his own base benefits us, in a way. Now we don't have to hunt down him and Kira simultaneously." Near murmured.

She nodded and sat down at her station, rubbing her eyes. She was beginning to look tired as well and for a moment, he felt bad for her, Rester, and Gevanni. They had families outside this building they hadn't seen in months. Families who worried about them. I have no one. I don't even know if my father is still alive. At the thought of his father, Near felt bile rise in his throat. He shook his head forcefully as if to erase the thought and went to his computer, which had started to beep. An "A" floated across the screen and he pushed a button.

"Yes, Avon?"

"Don't say that in such an insolent tone, twit. I got 'im and some little brat who was in the apartment. She isn't injured, but Mello..." Avon trailed off.

Near asked slightly nervously, the beginning of what Avon said going over his head. "What?"

_Please don't be dead, Mello._ "His face is pretty freaked up. Well, actually, the entire left side of his body is messed up. I mean, we're talking third degree burns in most areas and his leather jacket or whatever is melted into the burns and cuts." Avon's voice was somber for once, no cynicism hinted.

"As long as he is alive, it doesn't matter. My agents should be arriving in a couple hours. Thank you for cooperating with me, Avon."

"Whatever." They ended the connection and Near leaned back into his chair. Dug the heels of his palms into eyes as if to wipe away that awful fatigued feeling.

"Sleep, Near." He looked up at Halle. "I'll wake you when I hear anything from Rester and Gevanni."

He opened his mouth to reject the idea of sleep, but a yawn cut off his protest. Wordlessly, he nodded and shuffled out of the surveillance room. The linoleum floor was cold beneath his socked feet as he walked down the hallway before stopping in front of his room.

The room was so much like his room back at Wammy's, only the floor wasn't wooden and covered with toys. He was rarely in his room, his bed still perfectly made from last week. He yanked the covers back and crawled in. He pulled the covers over his head and inhaled the scent of detergent. He didn't know who washed the sheets, but held no complaints. They smelled like flowers, the sweet scent wafting around him. He closed his eyes and started to count die.

* * *

"Near..." A gentle hand shook him.

He blinked open his eyes and looked at the clock sitting on the nightstand. 6:49. He had slept for nearly five hours. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Why didn't you wake me sooner?" He grumbled, swinging his legs out of bed.

Halle sent him an apologetic smile. "Rester and Gevanni just returned about half an hour ago. I had to set up two separate rooms and get them comfortable. That man you spoke to earlier was right; Mello is in a bad way."

He frowned. "Why two rooms?"

Her smile fell and she frowned as well. "There was a child with him. Avon mentioned her and Rester confirmed there was a child with Mello."

"Why is there a child with Mello?"

Halle shrugged. "I can only guess, but I'm afraid I may be right. I think the child is Mello's."

_Mello, what have you been doing?_ Near felt his eye twitch at the idea of another Mello running around. "Take me to where they are." He ordered, following her out of his room.

He decided to visit Mello first to see how bad his injuries were. Half the blond's face and body were wrapped with guaze and bandages. A couple places were blotchy with blood. His torso was bare, presumably to keep the bandages from chafing the raw wounds. His right eye, the only visible eye, was closed and occasionally, a little huff of air left his lips as they tightened with pain.

"I gave him morphine, but...I can only imagine how much pain he must be in. According to Gevanni, he didn't wake up during the whole plane ride. He was out at Avon's hideout, too." Halle whispered.

"And the girl?" Near queried.

"She's across the hall." The two tiptoed out of the room, leaving Mello.

Near stood beside the girl's bed, scrutinizing her face. She couldn't have been older than four, her face round. She had long, pale lashes and blonde hair, the same shade as Mello's. Her nose was button shaped and her lips thin.

He backed away from her bed and exited the room with Halle. "When she wakes up, please bring her to the surveillance room so that I may speak with her. The same goes for Mello."

"Yes, sir." He returned to the surveillance room, sitting in his chair.

He pulled out a Rubik's Cube and grimaced at it before deciding to figure it out. He is hands needed something to do before his mind wandered back to Mello's beaten body. Thankfully, his mind didn't seem to care much about Mello and focused back on the case at hand.

_By now the Japanese Task Force are at the hospital; if Mello didn't come out of that unscathed then they certainly are injured as well. If L contacts me, I will neither confirm or deny Mello's survival. If they think he is dead, it will make things easier for him._

The next night, Mello still hadn't woken up. The girl did and was currently in her makeshift room, sleeping again. She was very presumptuous for a three year old, immediately demanding food from him before asking where "Daddy" was. He asked her who her father was and she confirmed what Halle and he had been fearing.

Near pushed his dice tower over morosely. He hadn't heard from L since the raid and was growing bored at the abrupt standstill. He sighed quietly and decided to rest, fatigue weighing down his limbs as he walked down the hallway.

Suddenly, he heard a crash and stopped walking. He strained his ears as his senses grew more alert. He could feel the adrenaline surging through his veins. It was silent. He took a cautious step forward and something came barreling into him. A startled gasp escaped from his lips as he fell roughly to the ground, the weight on him stifling.

"What the-where the hell am I?!" The voice was so familiar, so startling, Near's eyes widened.

Mello was perched on top of him, naked from the waist up. He had ripped his bandages and guaze off, the wounds angry and bleeding, his eyes wild with delirium.

"I see Mello is feeling better." Near grumbled, shoving the blond off him.

Mello snarled, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "Where am I and what are you doing here?"

"You are at my headquarters. After you so gallantly escaped death, my agents went to Los Angeles to retrieve you and your daughter." Near said sarcastically. At the mention of his daughter, Mello snarled and grabbed Near by the collar of his shirt.

"Where is Rinzen?!" Mello shook him.

Irritated, Near growled, "In the room across from yours, sleeping."

"Near!" Rester and Gevanni's voices came from somewhere behind him.

Mello let out a curse and released Near, stumbling to his feet. He leaned against the wall, coughing harshly, his arm wrapped around his torso. Near stood up as well and made to move toward the older boy. Mello flinched like a startled deer and sprinted down the hall. Rester and Gevanni made to go after him, but Near stopped them.

"Don't bother. I believe Matt is waiting for him outside." He cast a look at the two.

"What makes you think that?" Gevanni queried.

Near shrugged and continued on his mission to go to bed. "Just a hunch."


	13. Fraudulence

He was busying himself with making a castle of legos. The polychromatic structure clashed violently and wasn't the prettiest thing to look at, but he didn't care. He was about to put the flag on the tower when the door behind him opened. He looked over his shoulder to see the little girl, Rinzen, walking in after Halle.

"Where is daddy?" She demanded, rushing over to his side.

He placed the flag beside his foot. "He left, but I'm sure he'll come for you soon. In the mean time, you will stay with Halle. I have no use for a child running around my headquarters."

She stuck her tongue out at him before returning to Halle's side. Halle smoothed her hair down with a peculiarly fond look upon her face. He couldn't see Halle liking children.

Near went back to his castle, taking it apart. _Harder to split than an atom..._

"I suspect Mello will come into contact with us very soon. There is a high percentage he will come through Halle."

Halle looked rather alarmed and Gevanni asked, "Why Halle?"

"Logically," Near replied, "he would show himself to someone he knew wouldn't be able to physically overpower him. If it comes to that, Halle, I advise you not to resist and take him straight here."

Halle nodded. "Yes, sir."

Near nodded as well and looked at Rinzen, who was starting to look drowsy. "Take her with you. If she's anything like Mello when he doesn't get enough rest, I will need a new headquarters."

She didn't seem to happy being dismissed, but reluctantly obliged.

"Okay. See you later, Near."

He gave a little wave and watched her leave the room, holding Rinzen. He turned back to his legos and began to make a spaceship. Gevanni, who had been watching Rinzen almost resentfully, walked over to Near and murmured, "Sir, are you certain she can be trusted?"

"Why wouldn't she be? She's a toddler." Near inquired, not looking up from his makeshift spaceship.

Gevanni shuffled, uncomfortable. "W-well, she's Mello's daughter."

"So?" Near blinked owlishly at him, "She's just a child. Mello isn't so stupid as to bring her with him when he went to the mafia and while she certainly seems very intelligent, she knows nothing of what is going on. She's just a victim of circumstance. It is foolish to be suspicious of a three year old."

Gevanni didn't seem to agree, but backed off, returning to his station._ Perhaps it is because of me, but he is greatly overestimating Rinzen. Then again, she is Mello's daughter_.

* * *

He lay on his stomach, launching a rocket. He made the sound of the engine through his teeth and flew the rocket over his head. Halle and Gevanni were seated in front of him at their stations, typing away diligently on their computers. Rester had just entered the monitor room from behind him.

"Near, if you don't mind me asking," Rester said, "what do you make of all this? I'd be interested to hear what your thoughts are on this case."

Near nodded and obliged. "The current Kira is overconfident, not to mention unusually cooperative with the Task Force. So much so, I would go as far as saying he goes hand in hand with them."

He placed a Grim Reaper doll and a police robot beside each other on his lego brick wall. The robot had a helmet hiding its face on.

"You think so?"

"That would make the second L and Kira..." he removed the helmet on the robot to reveal it had a skull and scary red eyes. "one in the same person."

It was the first time he had voice this thought, so Rester's disbelief was expected.

"What?!" Rester exclaimed. He quickly regained his composure, and said much calmer, "T-that can't be, are you serious?"

Near put the helmet back on the robot. "Yes, I am. Having said that, I am only seven percent certain. Don't worry, Commander Rester, making assumptions are part of any investigation. If we are wrong, all it would cost is an apology."

"Near, I think you should see this." Halle suddenly said.

He looked up to see President Hoope in a press conference. He raised an eyebrow. Well, this can't be good.

"I'm going to keep this brief. The United States will no longer oppose Kira." Hoope looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, his expression conveying his defeat.

"Does this mean Kira is justice?!" The reporters demanded in a frenzy.

"Justice? I-I never said that! But, because of Kira, war and conflict have ceased altogether. Criminal organizations have been brought to their knees, not just here, but in all free nations. Anyone who opposes Kira will be killed. That is a fact. We are not acknowledging Kira as justice, we are simply saying we, as a country, will not take on Kira."

Near narrowed his eyes at the monitor. He spat, "That cocksucker."

The others in the monitor room gaped at him, unused to him using such vulgarity when he would chastise them for using that sort of language.

"What happened?" Rester asked uncertainly.

"It looks like we've been disbanded, thanks to that chicken shit president. No, he's even lower than chicken shit. He's less than a maggot." He grumbled, twisting off the police robot's head.

_You've got to be kidding. There's no way accepting Kira will lead to any good._

Halle quietly excused herself to return to her apartment to give the babysitter a break. Near pulled out a different set of toys.

No more than an hour after Halle left, an alarm went off.

"Near!" Gevanni called.

Near looked up at the monitor and rose an eyebrow. A hooded figure was holding a gun to Halle's head, with Rinzen trailing behind the two. She looked oddly content given the situation. He had no doubt in his mind that it was Mello.

"What should we do?" Rester asked, glancing at Near.

"Let them in." He turned back to the three level train set he he created.

The doors slid open with a pneumatic hiss and two pairs of boots clicked against the metal floor. He guessed they were standing about ten feet behind him. Rester and Gevanni aimed their guns and yelled, "Freeze!"

Near heard Mello grunt and a little whimper. He looked out of the corner of his just in time to see Mello push Rinzen farther behind him. She gripped his pant leg, looking fearfully at the guns.

Near said, "Everyone, please put away your guns. It would be pointless to have a shootout."

"Sir, with all due respect, Mello is the one who killed our partners." Gevanni objected.

"Please don't make me say it again. Killing Mello would do nothing to benefit our investigation." Near grumbled exasperatedly.

With obvious reluctance, Rester and Gevanni put away their guns. Near still didn't turn around, feeling Mello's glare boring holes into his back.

"It seems things are going just as you planned, Near."

"Yes, I've pretty much figured out who Kira is and it's mostly thanks to everything you've done." He couldn't resist teasing his older rival. He was curious to see if Mello was still as sensitive as he had been at Wa-

"Shut up, Near!" Mello bellowed and suddenly, Rester and Gevanni were aiming their guns at him again. _He's gotten trigger happy, eh?_

"I'm not just a tool for you to use in order to solve your puzzles, you know!" The blond sounded indignant.

Near was somewhat amused. He wanted to push Mello's buttons a little more. "Mello, if you want to shoot me, then go ahead and do it."

He heard the trigger being slowly squeezed.

He heard Halle shout, "Stop! If you shoot him, then they will have no choice but to shoot you as well! What will it solve if you both die? That's just what Kira wants."

Near turned his head just slightly in mild alarm. Was that...concern he heard in Halle's voice? He was further surprised when Mello lowered his gun willingly. Just how long did Mello and Halle know each other? She almost sounded sororal to Mello, rather than an objective third party. "You've got a good point. Anyway, I'm only here to take back that photograph you have."

He focused back at the task at hand as the tension loosened. "Of course."

He pulled the picture of a younger Mello out of his breast pocket. "I got it from the orphanage; there was only one and no copies have been made. I've already dealt with everyone who knows your face, both inside and outside of Wammy's. They'll keep quiet."

He flicked the photograph at Mello, who caught it and studied it for a moment before flipping it over. He added, "I can't say for certain, but it shouldn't be possible for you to be killed by the notebook."

He waited for that gun to be drawn again, but Mello didn't rise to the bait. either because he was too busy reading the back of the photo, which read "Dear Mello" in Near's neat handwriting, or he chose to ignore the jab at his malformed face.

"Is that the only business you have with me, Mello?" Near asked, turning back around to face the monitors.

"Hmph...Near. You know that I have no intention of working with you on this case."

"Yes, I know." Near interrupted.

"At the same time, I can't just take my photo and leave. That wouldn't be right. So, I'll settle my debt."

Near looked at him out of the corner of his eye. Since when was he so gracious?

"The killer notebook belongs to a shinigami. Anyone who touches it will be able to see a god of death." Mello finished.

Near gasped. Shinigami? Gevanni and Rester both snorted. "That's crazy. Who the hell would believe something like that?"

"I would." Near said. "I believe him completely. What good would it do him to tell an outrageous lie like that? Even if he had something to gain, he would come up with a more believable story. Therefore, these gods of death must exist."

"The notebook I obtained previously belonged to another shinigami, perhaps even Kira himself. Also, some of the rules written inside are fake."

Near turned to look over his shoulder once more. Mello's voice took a lofty tone to it. "That's all I can tell you for now."

He heard Mello turn on his heel and the sound of little feet moving."Near."

"Mello." He reached up to twirl his hair just as he heard a snap from Mello. White teeth biting into chocolate.

"Which of us is gonna reach Kira first, I wonder?" Mello still sounded arrogant.

Near smiled slightly. "The race is on."

"We're both heading toward the same destination. I'll be waiting for you." The doors slid shut and Near chuckled airily.

"Right."

* * *

Near glanced at the tarot cards he placed all around him. _Fake rules. There's no doubt the notebook kills using heart attacks and victims can be controlled to a degree. As for burning or tearing it up, the notebook still exists so there is no way to confirm one way or the other. That means..._

He flicked a card and watched it flutter back to the ground. It landed rightside up. It showed a skull in between two scythes. Beneath it, it said, "Death." _The false rule must be the person will die if he doesn't write a name after thirteen days._

It was just him and Gevanni in the monitor room. He had yet to question Halle about why she seemed so "cozy" with Mello and Rester was out getting food.

The woman seemed to know he was going to ask her about Mello, so she took to avoiding him most days, which was virtually impossible. He already had a few theories anyway. The first one, they were dating. It was a ludicrous theory, he knew that, but it was plausible despite the nine year age difference between the two. The next one, Mello had some sort of leverage over her. Perhaps he threatened her life or a loved one's. The blond had showed Near what he was capable of, so he wouldn't put it past him. The third, they were related. Whether or not the two were aware of the possible relation, Near didn't know. All he knew was that they shared similar features. For instance, both possess thin faces and sharp chins. Their eyes had the same shape, albeit different colors, and they were both blond. He didn't know if Mello had any siblings, but decided to look it up later when the case was over.

"Gevanni." He suddenly said, snapping himself out of his own irrelevant thoughts.

"Huh?" Gevanni turned to look at him.

"Set up a connection to L." Near ordered.

"Yes, sir."

Near grabbed his headset and fingered his favorite curl: the one right beside his ear.

"Yes?" L's voice asked.

"L, I thought you should know that we caught Mello."

Rester and Halle walked in right as he said that. The three adults stared at him in bemusement. He paid them no mind. "But, he escaped soon afterward."

He picked up his tarot cards and held them like he was playing a game of Go Fish. "We were able to interrogate him for a while."

"He didn't really escape, did he? You let him get away, am I right?" L sounded accusing.

"No," Near answered passively, "we tried to restrain him, but he was too quick. Anyway, Mello mentioned there was some sort of shinigami attached to the notebook. Have you been able to confirm the existence of such a creature?"

"...Yes. I can tell you for a fact that shinigami do exist. I didn't share that information with you in the beginning because I was certain that you wouldn't believe me."

He chose to ignore the last sentence. "I would like to ask the shinigami a few questions. The thing that's bothering me the most about this is the rules written in the notebook. I have reason to believe one of them is fake."

"A fake rule?" L sounded perplexed.

"Yes. L, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this. What rule do you think is fake? I'd like to know."

"By process of elimination, the most obvious choice would be where the owner of the notebook will die if they do not write names for thirteen days. I don't believe that."

Near waved one of his cards around. His way of approval. "I thought you might say that. I've come to the same conclusion myself."

Halle, Gevanni, and Rester's vexation was nearly palpable as they scrutinized him. Yes, he hadn't cared to share his thoughts about a fake rule ever since Mello had visited.

"Shinigami," L suddenly said, "you know the rules in the notebook better than anyone else. Are any of them false?"

Near suddenly grinned, his eyes wide. He couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice. "I see. You have a shinigami with you?"

"Yes." L confirmed.

"Is that so?" He still sounded so giddy and his grin remained in place. "I think I'm beginning to get the picture. In other words, Kira is there in the room and he's making the shinigami lie on his behalf."

He flipped the card he had been holding up beside the "death" one. This one said "Devil." It was quiet on the other end, but he could hear incoherent voices. Near's grin fell and his blank mask was back in place.

"If there is a problem, how about we verify the rules this way? I will volunteer to write down Mello's real name in the notebook." Near offered.

He heard Halle gasp from behind him, but didn't turn around, mentally taking note of her reaction. _I don't know Mello's real name, but I can make them believe that I discovered it while I "interrogated" him. I have no intention of killing Mello._

"Of course, that means he dies and if I also die thirteen days later...well, then I guess Kira wins. Either way it's a gamble I'm willing to make. Testing and confirming the thirteen day rule can only benefit the Kira investigation. Other than my possible death, there would be no drawbacks. I'm willing to put my life on the line if it helps solve this case."

Bullshit. Utter bullshit. He could imagine Mello calling him out on his lie. He was grateful this L didn't know him. The real L would have called him out as well.

"Can you please wait a minute while we deliberate?" L switched off without waiting for his response.

"Near, what are you thinking?" Rester demanded. Near bet if he wasn't Rester's boss, the man would be shaking him right now. He chose to ignore him and the other two.

"Near, we've talked it over and we can't allow you to use the notebook like that." L said.

Near adjusted himself more comfortably. "I had a feeling you would say that. No matter. Just one last question before I go. To the members of the Japanese Task Force, was there ever a point in the investigation in which the second L was suspected to be Kira, even if the suspicions were later dropped? If you've been listening to our conversation so far and have any intention of helping my investigation to take down Kira, please call the number I am about to give you. Day or night, I will answer. The choice is left up to you."

Near hung up and said, "And now, we wait."


	14. Evacuation

_I know I don't believe in karma...but this is ridiculous._ He remained firmly in place as the building shook again. Demegawa and his crazy fanatics were attempting to storm his headquarters and drag them out so they could be murdered by Kira. He had no doubt in his mind the second L was behind this little incident. The building shook once more and a plume of black smoke shifted past the window._ I take it back. This isn't a little incident._

Gevanni and Halle were typing away on their computers, occasionally looking at the monitors nervously. Rester stood beside Near, glaring at the monitors.

"At this rate, we'll be dragged outside unless we stop them somehow." Rester said.

Before Near could respond, all the monitors showed an Old English Text "L." The others stopped what they were doing to look at the monitors.

"What's going on, Near? Could it be that this is some sort of plot by Mello to finish off the SPK? No, surely it couldn't be the SPK's security system is so lacking that even a normal citizen could find out where it is located?" L's voice was oozing with mockery.

Near subconsciously snapped Optimus Prime's head off. _Dammit, he's lying through his teeth._ His brain kicked into high gear, fury fueling its engine. He would get back at L for this. If he was uncertain L was Kira before, he was nearly one hundred percent certain now. It was too much of a coincidence that after Near planted a seed of doubt in the minds of the Task Force members, Demegawa learns of his location and attacked._ The events went hand in hand. L is trying to get rid of me. I bet he has some plan formulated in which once I am either dragged out of the building or attempt to escape, he will see my face and I will die._

"Near, you've got no choice. You better evacuate." L said almost eagerly.

Near screwed Optimus' head back on and casted it an apologetic glance. "You've got some nerve to say that, Kira."

_Might as well let my suspicion known._

"What? Are you still going on with that nonsense?!" L exclaimed heatedly.

_Let's see...I'm definitely going to take Rocketman..._Near lined his robots around him in a half circle.

"Think about it. With all the anti-Kira groups around, why is it we're being targeted and right after I start suspecting you? Pretty convenient, if you ask me."

He flicked Optimus to the ground. His head popped off again, much to Near's displeasure. He grabbed it and screwed the head back on. He hoped he wouldn't have to buy a new one. This one costed him, or rather Rester, nearly ten dollars.

"Near, with all due respect, you're wrong. You're jumping to conclusions."

Near chose to ignore L's poor attempt at baiting him. He was as cool as the other side of the pillow. He was not going to let this imposter get deeper into his skin than he already had. He looked at the monitors. The fanatics had set fire to the base of the building. He didn't have much time left.

"Members of the Task Force, please listen to me. Kira is likely amongst you. Even as we speak, he is in that room. I'm simply asking you think about this carefully."

The building shook and Near looked almost worriedly at the monitor before looking back down again. He hoped the owner of the car that had just exploded had "extremist" coverage. They were attempting to break through the glass doors at the base of the building now, but Near noticed they seemed to be arguing amongst themselves. _Anarchy. How...fitting._

"Near, we have to evacuate immediately!" Rester said, looking down at his young superior.

Near looked back at the monitor. He replied dryly, "Really? What pathetic people. I'm not surprised that there are ordinary people who support what Kira's trying to do. I'm talking about all the citizens who believe in their heart Kira punishing criminals would actually make this world a better place to live. But, as for the crowd outside, they are a completely different breed. They are truly despicable and stupid. It's just a diversion for them. They're all selfish."

He knocked over all his robots but one. The orange one standing in front of him. He knew he wasn't just talking about the crowd. While he said this, he imagined his parents.

Rester seemed confused by what he had just said since it hadn't been relevant to his exclamation. "I-I know that, but it still leaves us with the immediate problem."

"We'll use L's legacy and the anti-Kira protesters we hired." He started to pick his robots up, his arms steadily filling up.

"Yes, but we only have one shot with that plan." Rester reasoned.

Near was starting to get annoyed. He didn't hear Rester coming up with any alternatives other than "evacuate." He might as well just stick his head out the window and shout his real name out for Kira.

"I am aware of that, but I can't imagine a better time to do it. Besides, it should be interesting." He steadily rose to his feet, making sure he didn't drop his robots.

Rester and Gevanni left the room to go to where Near kept his inheritance. He wasn't exactly thrilled to throw millions of dollars out the windows, but no matter. He'd just make his own money, and it wasn't all of his inheritance. He wasn't that desperate. As the money continued to pour out, Halle walked over to Near with the police SWAT uniform.

"Sir." She was already dressed in her uniform and held her arms out to take his toys while he prepared.

He handed his toys over and pulled the uniform on, making a face of discontent as he did so. Compared to his soft, cotton pajamas, the uniform felt like he was pulling bricks on and it wasn't too light. He took his toys back from her. Gevanni put his helmet on.

"Let's go. This is our window of opportunity. We can leave through the front exit." Near said right before Rester put his helmet on for him.

"Sir, are you sure it is wise to bring your toys? It will make you stand out." Gevanni asked, his voice muffled from behind his helmet.

Near almost took his helmet off to glare at the older man. He almost told Gevanni the last time he left a toy behind and how horrible he felt afterward. He wondered how Marliz was doing. "I am most certainly not leaving my robots behind. Especially Optimus Prime and Rocketman. They wouldn't like it."

The four of them went to the bottom floor where their hired "mercenaries" were waiting. Rester, Gevanni, and Halle formed a protective ring around Near, shielding his toys. Then, they raced out. Even if they were running only for a few meters, Near's lungs began to ache. After all, the last time he had run was...well, never. They blended in with the police, their bodies bumping together as they got to their safehouse. It was a nearby building, not as extravagent as the previous one, but it would still be useful. He didn't choose the building for luxury, though. It was convenient enough that it was close to their old headquarters, but no one would suspect they would still be in the area.

"Gevanni, please work on setting up a new connection. I'd like to gloat." Near ordered, a smile on his face as Halle helped him out of his uniform.

"Yes, sir." Gevanni sat at his new station and began to work.

Near was pleased with how well things had gone for him. Sure, he'd lost most of his inheritance to a bunch of greedy bottom feeders, but he was over it. Halle came over with an apple for him. He took it appreciatively and bit into it.

"Halle, I have something I've been meaning to ask you." He said.

She bit her lip and folded her arms across her chest. Attempting to close me off. "What is it?"

"It's about Mello. Ever since that night he came to our headquarters for his photograph, something has bothered me. You seemed very concerned about his wellbeing. More so for his than mine, your superior."

Her eyes hardened slightly and she snapped rather defensively, "We're not an 'item', if that is what you are insinuating."

Near reached up and twisted a curl. "No, that wasn't what I thought at all. I've read your file. You were born in Russia, correct?"

She seemed alarmed. "I-I...Yes, why?"

"After a disagreement with your parents, you went to live with your grandparents and you were taken to America. There, you attended school in California before going to Washington, D.C. to become a CIA agents. It mentioned in your file your maiden name was 'Keehl.'"

She paled and mumbled, "What are you getting at, Near?"

He smiled slightly. "You are Mello's sister...yes?"

She looked away from him and opened her mouth.

"Near." He glowered at Gevanni, though the latter didn't seem to notice.

"I've set up a connection."

He looked at Halle and said so only she could hear him, "We'll discuss this later. Gevanni, hook me up to L."

Gevanni did so and Near pushed a button on his speaker.

"This is Near. We've reestablished a secure connection, so I thought I should give you a call to let you know." Near sat in his new chair, smiling slightly.

"You're safe! That's good!" L said in relief.

"To all of you on the Task Force, I'm sure that by now some of you are starting to suspect Kira might be amongst you. Given the timing of the days and the attack on our headquarters, I don't think anyone could blame you for having doubts. If you don't suspect the second L of being Kira by now, you're in the wrong line of work. The number I gave you the day before has been reconnect. Please feel free to call any time you like. Well then, I'll be waiting for your call." He ended the call, smirking.

"Yes? This is Near."

"...I'm with the Japanese Task Force. My name is Aizawa."

* * *

Kira's pattern has shifted once again. He never would have murdered Demegawa...unless, he has found someone more obedient to take his place. Regardless, this isn't the real Kira, this is a second one.

Near continued to watch the news feed from Japan, learning of Kiyomi Takada being the new spokesperson for Kira. He rose a white eyebrow.

"That's interesting." He said aloud.

"What is it?" Gevanni asked.

"Kiyomi Takada. If I am correct, I believe our investigation of Light Yagami mentioned Takada. They dated while they attended To-Oh University." Near answered, gripping his hair delicately between his index and middle finger.

_That's such a foolish choice, Kira. Yet another sign this Kira is not the same. Kira would not choose someone he had previous contact with._

"Rester, please fly to Japan and set up a new headquarters. Also, I would like for you to gain contact with Aizawa once again. Tell him of our suspicions and see if he agrees."

"Yes, sir." Rester nodded, exiting the surveillance room.

Near turned back to the monitors and continued to watch the new episode. Takada was glowing vibrantly on the screen.

"I am Kiyomi Takada and I will be spreading the word of our Lord Kira." She smiled, looking very much like Charon to Near.


	15. Relocation

_All the pieces have fallen into place. Now that things have gotten this far, it's my turn to go to Japan._

"Commander Rester."

"Yes, Near?"

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to return to New York."

"Right now?" Rester sounded incredulous. He had just landed and was in a rental car.

Near looked up at the monitor. Rester didn't seem pleased. "Yes, I'm intending to go to Japan."

"Alright. So you would like for me to stay in New York while you're gone?"

_Poor Rester. He doesn't understand what I am asking of him._ "Not at all."

Rester frowned in confusion. "Then, what's the point of me coming back there?"

Near rubbed a curl between his thumb and index finger. His subtle indication he was feeling a bit embarrassed and needed some sort of comfort in the form of familiarity. "Truth is, I've never made travel arrangements or boarded a flight on my own before."

He released his curl and stuck his bottom lip out slightly in a pout. "That's why I need you to come back. So you can escort me."

"...Understood." Rester hung up.

Near sighed and stood up. Pulling teeth couldn't have been more difficult. He went to his room to pack a few things, knowing the travel time would be terribly long.

"Halle, Gevanni, I would like for you to come to Japan after as well. This building was more of a temporary solution rather than a permanent residence. I had Rester find a more suitable headquarters in Japan while he was there." He said, coming back with a bag.

Gevanni and Halle both nodded, though neither seemed to thrilled with leaving the country. Near sat back down and waited the fifteen hours it would take for Rester to return.

* * *

Near silently handed his toy dinosaur to Rester, having grown bored with it, and held his hand out expectantly for the red robot Rester had been clutching in his hand for the past three hours. The two exchanged the toys and Near held the robot arms length. He didn't pretend to ignore the bruises beneath Rester's eyes. He almost felt sorry for making the man fly back and forth just for him, but he was closer to him than he was with Halle or Gevanni. Not to mention...he liked him. Within a few minutes, Rester was sleeping. Near let him, looking out the window and absentmindedly fiddling with his robot.

He stayed awake for the entirety of the fifteen hour flight. He couldn't sleep even if he wanted to. The roaring of the engines, despite being in first class, were beginning to hurt his ears and he despised being forced to sit normally. Rester seemed to be in an uneasy half conscious state where he'd doze off only to snap to attention at the slightest jostle.

"Go back to sleep, Commander Rester; it's just the turbulence." Near was proud of himself for even knowing that much about the bumps, as though the plane were going over potholes on a road. Rester mumbled something incoherently before slipping back into slumber.

Near began to wonder where Mello was. He figured the likeliness of him being in Japan was at least seventy percent. That was one thing that always mildly amused Near; both of them thought alike. Granted, Near would come to conclusions a lot sooner than Mello and they had different techniques, but their minds were similar.

The plane landed shakily and Near stood up, stretching his poor, sore muscles. He followed Rester out of the airport and to a black car Rester had parked in the parking lot prior to being sent back to New York.

"Our headquarters is in a modified building. The security is top of the notch, as you requested, with an underground garage that requires voice identification." Rester said as he drove.

Near could care less about that. "What about the most important room in this building?"

Rester nodded. "There is a room dedicated to your toys and puzzles. Passcode included."

Near nodded his head in approval. "Good. My toys deserve nothing but the best security."

They got to the building and Near quickly went to the monitor room, deciding to contact L. Unlike the previous monitor room, which had been bathed in a pearly, almost ethereal, glow from the screens, this one was brightly lit and had a more homey atmosphere. A Christmas tree, completely decorated, was set up in front of the window, where the curtains were drawn. Near blinked slowly, recalling the large pine trees Roger would always get on Christmas. The orphans would take turns putting up an ornament. Near always got the one with the bell and he had even been honored with putting the star on top when he was seven.

Rester connected him to the Task Force.

"This is Near. I wanna speak to L."

"This is L. What is it you want from us?"

"I'm following with my goal to arrest Kira. And that's why I'm in Japan now." He paused for a moment to let what he said sink in.

He continued when L didn't respond. "L, I presume you've already contacted Takada for purposes of your own investigation."

"That's right. In fact, I'm investigating her myself at the moment."

Very interesting. Do I detect a hint of arrogance? "I see. For the time being, given if we want to get closer to catching Kira, we'll have to keep an eye on Kiyomi Takada and NHN in general. I want you to pass on a message. Inform her that as of now, several SPK members have entered Japan in order to catch and arrest Kira."

Rester looked at him sharply, clearly reproving what he had just said.

"But, why would we do that?"

Near looked at the structure he was making. It was perfectly straight, each piece glued together immaculately. He was pleased. "To lure Kira out of hiding. I also want you to mention the following to her so she'll relay it to Kira. In total, there are only four active members of the SPK, that includes myself. Kira won't be able to resist an opportunity and he won't run; he'll try to kill us before we get too close. That's where I'll beat him at his own game. I am in Japan as we speak."

"I am in Japan as well." L replied.

"Then, we're quite close to each other. Who knows? We might have the chance to meet face to face." Near said, almost tauntingly.

"I hope so." Now, L was taunting him as well.

"It's something to look forward to. When the time comes, we'll finish this Kira once and for all."

"Definitely." Their words were double edged swords, each hearing the hidden meaning behind the other's words. L knew Near thought he was Kira, and Near knew L was already formulating his demise.

Near ended the connection.

"Rester, please connect to Halle and Gevanni. They should still be at the old headquarters." He requested.

Rester did as he was asked. Near gave the two a little wave before jumping right into work again.

"First, let's review what we know so far." Near looked down at the suitcase filled with lego figurines, a silver ball, a fake gun, and a NHN TV schedule.

He grabbed one of the figurines. "L is Light Yagami and he is also Kira."

He wrote "L-Kira" on the chest of the figurine, which looked like Light. "We'll call him 'L-Kira.'" _Suiting, if you ask me. He killed L, after all._

"There is also another one. Someone who has the notebook and is currently using it. We'll call him 'X-Kira.'" He looked at the black figurine that already had "X-Kira" scribbled on its chest.

"Judging by the pattern of X-Kira's killings, he has definitely made the deal and acquired the Shinigami Eyes."

He placed the two figurines side by side, drew and arrow to each and crossed the arrow out. Then, he drew an arrow away from L-Kira. He had it point to the figurine representing Kiyomi Takada. An arrow then pointed away from her and to X-Kira.

"They must be planning to communicate using Takada as the go-between. So, given the situation that now stands, there are two ways to win against Kira." Near grabbed the gun and aimed it.

"One: the simple way." He fired it and it struck L-Kira in the chest, knocking it over. It ricocheted and hit X-Kira and it went down, too. "Arrange to kill both L-Kira and X-Kira and confiscate the notebook." He held up the tiny makeshift notebook.

"However, no matter what happens, we will never resort to that."_ It is only a last resort. I have no intention of killing either Kiras. My predecessor would have unhesitatingly, but...death has always bothered me._ He thought back to his mother's cold body. He subconsciously shivered.

"Why not?" Rester asked. He didn't sound approving.

Grateful to be pulled from thoughts about his mother, Near replied, "That's not the way we work, Commander."

"'We', sir?"

"Yes, that's right. We kill those two and the murders stop. Such ex post-facto justification will not be tolerated. That's not the way L and I do things because that would be an insult. Don't forget, L entrusted this case to those who came after him." A partial lie, but he didn't want to be seen as "unlike L."

A few hours later, Halle and Gevanni arrived at the headquarters, both looking rather tired. He tossed a flyer in her direction.

"Halle, I would like for you to infiltrate NHN. Try out to be one of Takada's bodyguards." Near said once she was settled.

She looked at it, then him in confusion. "Why me and not Gevanni?"

Gevanni shot him a look. "Yeah, right. Like I want to follow some damn woman around, holding her purse."

Halle's eyes narrowed and before the two could start to argue, Near cut in. "Only females may try out. Besides...Halle is much prettier than you Gevanni, not to mention more eloquent."

Catching the subtle jibe at his misogynist remark just a few seconds ago, Gevanni mumbled an apology to Halle. She nodded her head curtly and looked back at Near.

"I don't like this, but if you say so. It says the auditions are later tomorrow."

"That's right. Rest up. I have taken the liberty of getting an outfit for you. If I am correct in thinking, Takada is a refined lady of style. Her bodyguards must be dressed nicely." He murmured, pulling both knees to his chest.

Halle nodded and sent him an unreadable look before exiting the monitor room. Rester entered the room, carrying a steaming bowl of ramen. He placed it on the ground beside Near and was clutching both a spoon and a pair of chopsticks. Near ignored the spoon and grabbed the chopsticks.

"You don't want the spoon?" Rester asked.

He shook his head. "'When in Japan.'" He expertly held the chopsticks and slurped up some noodles eagerly, his stomach aching from having no food in over a day. His eyes watered and his mouth sizzled. He swallowed the hot noodles quickly and withheld a sigh of annoyance when he felt like he no longer had tastebuds.

"I thought it was 'when in Rome.'" Rester scratched his head.

"We're not in Rome, though." Near pointed out, this time carefully eating the noodles.

"Y-yes, I suppose that is true."

Near took a cautious sip of the broth. Chicken flavor. A carrot slipped into his mouth and he chewed the sweet vegetable, softened from the broth. He hadn't been fond of carrots, but he supposed he could stomach a handful. As he ate, he stared at his L-Kira and X-Kira figurines.

_They don't communicate directly...therefore, it is safe to say they have never met. This makes things a little more difficult, though I can safely confirm it is a man with a white collar profession. He most likely has a strong sense of justice, perhaps even working as a lawyer of a judge. I will need to have Gevanni look into any male in the area fitting that description, even if it is a generalization._

He flicked over the X-Kira figurine.

"When we find him," he whispered aloud, "we'll force his hand and we will take down Kira."


	16. Vigilance

Halle was one of the four women chosen to be Takada's bodyguards. As Near expected; Halle was more than certified. She was currently "babysitting the brat", as she so "fondly" called Takada.

_Who would I choose to be X-Kira? Out of all the people in the world..._

"...and the meaning of his teachings must be made mandatory. Above all, we must teach our children that Kira is good." Takada's voice suddenly seemed louder and he looked up, just catching the end of what she had been saying.

He rested his index finger against his chin. _Takada was chosen because she is a strong supporter of Kira. So, that means X-Kira must also be someone who knew that Takada is a Kira worshiper Someone who had a close, intimate relationship with her before her selection._ He placed X-Kira on the stack of CDs in front of him.

"Also, Kira will not forgive any crime, no matter how small. From this point onwards, you should assume any person alive is a viable target."

Near glared at his X-Kira figurine. He felt something strange happening. Was he close to some sort of epiphany? A breakthrough, perhaps? Then, he noticed instead of Takada's light voice, a masculine one was speaking. He looked back up at the monitors. They were showing a young man with shoulder length black hair. His expression was stern, his features hard. Beneath his face showed his name. Teru Mikami.

"I hear Kira's voice. I want to hear his thoughts once again. We should follow his teachings. Exactly as Kira ordered. To me, it is obviously the quickest path to lasting world peace. You have a responsibility. I think it is of the utmost importance that some people do all that they can to contribute. It is our duty to improve our society. If there are nor words or orders from Kira, then we have only one choice: we need to think for ourselves. We need to consider what Kira has taught us. What matters most is what he wants and to make our decisions from there."

Near listened with wide eyes, shocked not by the devoutness of this man, but how similar he sounded to Light. _L-Kira is Light Yagami. Could X-Kira be Teru Mikami? Everything seems to fit into place._

His heart was beating so fast and he sank back down onto his knees. Gevanni will be the one to follow Mikami. He grabbed his phone and dialed Gevanni's number.

"Yes?"

"Gevanni, head to NHN and wait for a black haired man with glasses to exit. He is young, perhaps your age. His name is Teru Mikami. I want you to follow him."

"Alright."

He hung up and quickly connected to L.

"L, this is Near. I have a request. Mr. Aizawa is there, would it be possible for me to speak with him for a moment?"

There wasn't even a pause as it sounded like someone grabbed the microphone. "Near," Aizawa said, "this is Aizawa. What is it?"

"I have a question regarding surveillance for L and Takada's meetings. Are you recording both audio and visuals of their conversations?"

"Uh, no. Only an audio feed right now."

Near wanted to kick them for their incompetence, but miraculously managed to keep his annoyance out of his voice. "I see. Only wire taps at the moment. How interesting. Thank you very much."

He ended the call and looked up at Rester. He could tell he was about to say something. "If they are only using wire taps, then it is safe to assume that L-Kira and X-Kira have found a way to contact each other through Takada. seems like Lidner could be in more danger than we realized."

Near started to fiddle with the Christmas tree. He was hanging up his figurines of X-Kira, Takada, and L-Kira. He was showing himself their hierarchy. "We knew the risks getting into this. To be blunt, what's important is that L starts focusing his attention on Lidner and Takada. In the mean time, we'll use the opportunity to investigate Mikami further."

He liked Halle, he certainly didn't want her to die, but it was a necessary sacrifice. He only hoped Mello wouldn't try to kill him if something did happen to Halle.

"Hmm." Rester didn't seem too happy with him, either. "How are things, Gevanni?"

Rester put the phone on speaker so Near could listen, too. "Well, about Mikami. It's strange. It's ridiculously easy to trail him. He's not trying to hide or anything. He's lived in the same place for the last four years. There's nothing unusual about him. He also seems to be totally dedicated to his career as a prosecutor. I'm beginning to think he's not X-Kira."

Near wanted to facepalm. Hadn't Gevanni ever heard "Don't judge a book by its cover?" This was a classic example of it. "No," He said a little firmly, "it's a very high probability that Mikami is X-Kira. Please be very careful. Don't enter his room yet. Just watch over him for now."

"Gotcha." Gevanni hung up and Near resumed adjusting the figurines.

"We haven't heard from Lidner in a while." Rester said a little anxiously.

"No need to worry. she was able to send me a message saying Takada requested Amane's presence for dinner. She is probably attending that at the moment...Oh? I take that back. Incoming call." Near pressed the button.

"Hello, Halle. How is the babysitting going?" He inquired good naturedly.

"I've seen more well behaved five year olds." Halle remarked dryly before getting serious again. "About tonight's meeting between Takada and Amane. They just talked about Light Yagami. If you read between the lines, they were arguing over which one is his lover."

Near's lip twitched with amusement. _Are all girls that amorous, or is that a trait solely found in Japanese women?_

"Your thoughts?" Rester asked him.

"All I can determine is this: Light Yagami is popular with the ladies." He had a new figurine, this one of Misa, and he pushed her and Takada up against his representation of Light. "And, we know that Takada and Amane both adore him."

"Near, please be serious about-" Rester was so close to reprimanding him like a child.

"It is serious." He cut Rester off sharply. He wasn't about to be scolded. "It is serious if they are both truly in love with him. They will not easily betray him. In fact, they'll likely do whatever he asks."

* * *

It had been a slow week. Only a few more days left until Christmas and presents touched the lower branches of the tree. Most of them were for Near, but he had gone out of his way to buy three presents each for Halle, Gevanni, and Rester. He had noticed Halle seemed restless and asked why.

"You haven't heard from Mello, have you?" She asked. He found her worry to be a bit cumbersome.

"No, I have not. It is safe to say, though, he is alive and well. His lack of movement may just be a temporary break." He was uncomfortable with reassuring her of something he himself was uncertain about. Who knew where Mello was?

"Mikami's just taken out a notebook!" Gevanni hissed.

He snapped to attention. Currently, Gevanni was trailing Mikami on a train. _He surely isn't going to-_

"He's writing something in it."

Near silently counted down from forty seconds and waited for Gevanni to tell him who died. "A man on the train has just collapsed! Mikami is getting off the train."

"Follow Mikami." Near ordered.

He killed without knowing the man's name. So, he has the shinigami eyes.

Rester turned to Near. "Well now we know for sure."

Near wrote Mikami's name beneath "X-Kira." "Yes, our next order of business is to get as close as possibly to Mikami. But, before we rush in blindly, there's something we need to be careful of. And that is the being known as the Shinigami."

He placed a grim reaper next to X-Kira. "The Shinigami will be loyal to Mikami and will warn him if it discovers we are following him."

"But, the Shinigami can only be seen by those who have touched the notebook. It's going to be pretty difficult watching out for something we can't even see."

"We're gonna try no matter how difficult. Gevanni, continue to follow Mikami. See if he ever leaves the notebook alone. When and if he does, that will by your chance to touch it."

Gevanni responded, "Right, understood, sir."


	17. Rift

"Near."

"Yes, what is it, L?"

"We have a problem. Mogi and Misa Amane have gone missing."

Near rolled his eyes. "I'm already aware of that. I was the one who took them into custody."

"For what reason?" L sounded displeased.

Near smiled and looked down at his latest contraption. He placed his marbles on it and would watch the tunnel spit them out onto another tunnel and roll onto the floor.. "Oh, just in case."

"Near, kidnapping is a blatant criminal act. You have to stop this now."

_Oh really? And murder isn't, Kira?_ "Actually, Mogi and Amane both came here willingly. You can even ask them yourself. I'll put them on the line now. Here they are." Without looking away from his contraption, he types in the code to transmit the video and audio feed from the room Misa and Mogi were sitting in to L's headquarters.

He heard L ask for a confirmation and Mogi agreed.

"Alright, it's fine if you both consented to this."

Near immediately ended the connection. So now I've removed Misa Amane, the one who might be the second Kira, from the equation. Light Yagami, I'm sure the significance of this move isn't lost on you.

Now all he had to do was wait for Gevanni's report. The agent was currently at the gym Mikami was working out at, breaking into his locker. Near thought back to the conversation he had with Gevanni just hours earlier. He had been working on a new finger puppet, this one of Mello. He made it look realistic enough, but with a goofy smirk that would look better on a cheesy cartoon character. Not to mention the scar looked a bit more Frankenstein-esque.

"Mikami leaves work at almost the same time every day without any slight variations. He leaves a completely scheduled life for the most part."

"So, he always goes to that particular gym every Monday and Thursday at nine o'clock, is that correct?"

"Yes, he's kept that routine for the past four years ever since he joined. He didn't even skip New Year's Day. I became a member and made a few inquiries to confirm it myself." Gevanni had said. He had been in his car, waiting for Mikami to leave work.

"Good. So then we can assume that he will be there Monday, the thirty-first, as well?"

"Yes. If he's the type of man to go on holidays, he's certainly going to be there New Year's Eve."

"Gevanni, will you be able to touch the notebook on the thirty first?" Near asked.

"I've thoroughly checked to see if the locker room has surveillance and it doesn't. So, yes, it is possible." Gevanni replied.

Then, Gevanni added, "Sir, if there is a shinigami present, then there is a good chance that I will die, isn't there?"

He seemed worried, but Near wasn't about to sugarcoat it for him. He knew what he was getting into when he agreed to follow Mikami. "Yes. Part of the reason you are doing this is to test that theory. Even if you don't see any shinigami after first touching the notebook, I want you to continue to watch Mikami for a while longer until you can conclude he has one following him."

Near looked up for a moment and saw the scared expression on his agent's face. He smirked coyly and looked down. He teased, "I can always have Rester do it if you're scared."

It did the trick. Gevanni seemed to snap out of it, his fear being replaced with determination. "No, I understand. I'll do it."

Near finished touching up his Mello finger puppet and began working on his own. After all, he would need his own little puppet.

"Sir, I've succeeded in touching the notebook. I can't confirm the existence of any shinigami at this time." Gevanni reported in excitedly.

"Commander Rester, please connect me with Mr. Mogi for a moment."

Rester did as he was asked and Near looked up at the visual feed of Mogi and Misa. They were still sitting on the loveseat, both looking rather bored. However, they looked up at the speaker when they heard it online.

"Mr. Mogi, according to your investigation and the rules of the notebook, how long can a person be controlled until they are dead?" He asked.

Rester looked at him curiously. Mogi looked down at his lap before looking back up again. Near wasn't sure if that meant he was thinking or trying to come up with a lie.

"Based on the data we got from the Yostuba experiment, it's twenty three days."

"Are you sure?" Near pressed. He needed his facts to be as accurate as possible.

"Yes. I'd say that the killing is done by Yotsuba was more than enough to prove it."

Near nodded even though Mogi couldn't see it. "Thank you for your assistance."

He offlined the camera once more. "We have to consider the possibility that Gevanni is already being controlled. In that case, making him say that there is no shinigami."

_Which means I'm going to have to confront L within twenty four days. If Gevanni is still alive, until then..._He trailed off his thoughts as he got distracted by his finger puppets. The Kira one specifically. He almost looked like the Hamburglar.

"Rester, I would like photographs of the notebook." He quickly got back on track.

"Photographs?" Rester echoed.

"Yes. I want to see what he wrote in the notebook. I want to see the pattern of how Mikami writes. If there are any habits and what kind of notebook it is. I wanna see it all; everything in detail with my own eyes."

Rester shrugged and relayed the message back to Gevanni. Within minutes, the screens were showing the numerous pages to the notebook. There were no spaces and Near was somewhat impressed. He was already beginning to see a pattern.

"What do you think?" Rester asked.

Near smiled, pleased.

"It's perfect. Gevanni's done an excellent job. The handwriting matches the records that Mikami keeps as a prosecutor. It's without a doubt that this is his handwriting. With this, we can do it."

"Now...I have an urgent matter. Perhaps you can help me, Rester." Rester looked at him in confusion.

"Urgent, sir? What is it?"

Near held up his Kira finger puppet for Rester to see. "Does he look like the Hamburglar to you?"

Rester blinked, clearly not thinking Near was serious. "Does it matter?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it does. I'd rather not get sued for ripping off a McDonald's character."

Rester sighed. "No, sir, it doesn't."

* * *

The rest of January flew by quietly. Mogi and Misa were still being held by Near, Halle was still acting as Takada's guard while also keeping out for any movements made by Mello (none so far), and Gevanni was still following Mikami. Takada was continuing her preaching of Kira, of which Near was beginning to grow ill listening to. He thought to the Bible, recalling he had read it once after Mello threw it at him, and could swear it mentioned "Thou shalt not worship a false god." Wasn't that breaking a commandment? Not that it made a difference to him, anyway. He was in no means religious. He didn't even know what he believed in, only that the Bible was not the word of God, but the word of Man.

All in all, it had been such a peaceful month, Near could hardly believe the case was drawing to a close. He was relaxed, playing with his toys, while Rester paced nervously behind him. He told the older man not to worry about his colleague, but the latter paid him no mind.

"Near, it's all been taken care of. I did exactly as you asked." Gevanni told him after giving his nightly report.

"Good."

It first started with Gevanni's report on the twenty fifth.

"Sir, this is Gevanni. I've been checking the notebook regularly as you ordered. For the past three days, he's continued to fill one page after midnight like he usually does. The victims still match up and there's been no change in Mikami's behavior otherwise."

"I understand. Well, then let's begin." He straightened up and connected to L.

"L, I want to meet you."

"What?" L asked quietly.

"There's something I want to show you pertaining to the Kira case."

"But, don't you suspect me of being Kira? Do you really think it's wise to reveal your face to me?" Near hated the faux innocence in L's voice. He knew better than to fall for that.

"That's true, but I cannot show you unless I reveal my face. Furthermore, the very act of showing my face will prove something and that will bring this case to a close."

"Alright, fine." He sounded impatient now. "As far as I'm concerned, the sooner you realize you're wrong about me, the better."

Near looked back down at his marbles and flicked one, watching them hit one another before rolling away. "I'd like to set some ground rules."

"We're willing to go along with whatever you want." L answered.

_After that kidnapping fiasco, you damn well better be complacent._ "First, I want to have the investigators on both teams present. In other words, everyone who is chasing after Kira will be gathered together to take part in the meeting."

* * *

He laid on his side and began to sort his finger puppets. Himself, the SPK, and Kira standing alone so far. He was thinking about where to put Mello. His side, or in the middle?

"I understand. That's not a problem." L agreed.

"As I mentioned before, there are a total of four members in the SPK, that's including myself. All of us will be there. Besides our team, we will also bring Mogi, who is currently staying with us. As for Miss Amane, she will be released right before we meet. She'll not be told where we're going."

He flicked Misa out of the way and placed Mogi over on Kira's (oh, pardon him, he meant L's) side.

"You can come and meet us after you've confirmed she's been safely released. Is that acceptable?"

"Okay, Near, I understand. I have a team of five investigators, that's including myself. Of course, Mogi's with you at the moment, aside from me, there's only three people." L said, his tone slightly reproving.

"Very well. now, as for our meeting place..." He paused and looked expectantly at Rester, who quickly typed in the location on his computer.

Near sent the picture of the warehouse to L. "Daikoku wharf. There's a warehouse on the southeast side that's been abandoned for quite some time. It's known as the 'Yellow Box.' I've already taken the liberty of purchasing it. If the arrangement if fine with you, we'll use it."

_How about it, Light Yagami? With a location like this, you can do what you planned to do._ "One more thing. This meeting cannot take place unless I have your word that someone will bring the notebook."

"Wait, why the notebook?"

_Maybe because the whole case hinges on that face? Maybe because it's the greatest weapon of mass murder in the history of civilization? Or maybe because you and the Task Force are a bunch of incompetent morons who have no business holding onto such a dangerous weapon?_ Oh, how he wished he could say that aloud.

"It's quite simple. If your entire team leaves HQ to come and meet me, then there will be no one left behind to guard the notebook. I can promise this; I will make no attempt to steal it. In fact, I won't even try to touch it. As long as Mr. Aizawa can confirm that it is the genuine notebook, I'm willing to put my faith in accepting his word. However, I do insist that someone other than L hold onto it. My reasons should be fairly obvious to you."

"Right, I understand, but I'll be the one to decides who will hold onto it. That sound fair?"

"Yes. Then, all that's left to arrange is the time and date."

_Mikami makes his judgments after midnight. He most likely receives a notice in the morning of which people to kill next. If we take his movements into consideration..._

"Say...three days from now? On the twenty eighth, one o'clock?"

There was a pause, then, "That's fine by me. The time doesn't really concern us."

"Well then, one o'clock, three days from now."

"Sure."

Near went to turn his microphone off. Light Yagami._ I know exactly what your plan is and I'm going to win._

* * *

_Things are falling perfectly into place, indeed. I just need to put phase two into action and then the ball will really begin to roll. Plus, with Halle acting as the go-between for Mello and myself, I have a tentative alliance with him. Looks like their kinship was useful to me after all._

Then, suddenly, everything seemed shot to hell.

Near had been sitting on the floor idly when Halle called it in.

"Sir, Mello's kidnapped Takada."

He actually froze, accidentally knocking his dice tower over. _That idiot. What the hell is he planning? Did Halle not tell him of my plan?_

"...Well, that certainly puts a damper on things. I suppose I should contact L and inform him I had nothing to do with this." He sighed and pushed the button.

"L, I am not the one who kidnapped Takada." He stated firmly.

"Is that so? Then it has to be Mello."

Near picked up his dice and put them away. "Yes, that's right. I have to be honest with you on this. We had one of our members escorting Takada and she confirmed it. Mello was the one who abducted her. I apologize for letting this happen while one of us was guarding her."

"Near, is there any way for you to contact Mello?"

_You think I haven't already tried? He isn't answering his phone, not even when Halle tries._ "No. I'm afraid that would be impossible. While I do have a method of getting in touch with him, there's no way he'd respond because of the current situation. All we can do is wait."

He heard L growl and Near didn't blame him. He felt just as powerless ad L probably felt. Leave it to Mello to screw things up. They show a red car on the monitor and a body slumped against it. Near realized with a jolt that it was Matt's body.

_Matt?_ He was surprised by the pain in his heart he felt. He had never been close with the redhead, but perhaps it was just the fact they had grown up together.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Halle contacted him.

"Sir, this is Halle. I'm at the location Mello had taken Takada to. T-the building is on fire!" She sounded panicky.

Near looked at his finger puppet of Mello. "And?"

"The truck is inside the building. Mello is still inside the truck. He's dead."

Near felt his heart stop and he clenched his fists. "...I see. Please return to headquarters."

He ended the connection and stood up. After remaining in the same position for the whole day, his legs were wobbly and sore. Rester looked at him almost nervously.

"Sir? Are you alright?"

"Yes, fine. Excuse me." Near stumbled out of the room and to his personal room.

He slumped down on the bed and was startled by the tears. They sprang so easily, stinging and burning his eyes. They followed one another down his pale cheeks, dripping off his chin, and onto his shirt. He let out a shaky breath.

"Mello, you fool. I warned you once your brashness would get you killed." He whispered before it felt like his throat closed up and all he could do was let the sobs rack his body.


	18. Kira

He quickly gained custody of Matt's and Mello's bodies, not wanting anyone to desecrate them any more than they already had been. He didn't look at their bodies, shutting his eyes tightly when Rester wheeled them in. He didn't want to remember Matt bloodied and riddled with bullet holes, or Mello, charred beyond recognition. He didn't even want to acknowledge they were dead. He had built a morgue in the building, a precaution, and that was where he stored their bodies. After he obtained Matt's goggles, of course. He only wished he had something to remember Mello by.

Halle was taking it better than Near would have expected. After only just getting her brother back and to have him taken away again? He could only imagine how she felt, yet she didn't fall apart. She allowed herself some time to grieve, a couple stray tears, but she remained professional. If anything, Mello's death seemed to further her determination to take Kira down. It was Rinzen who was inconsolable.

When Halle returned to headquarters, it was with the screaming three year old. She didn't understand. She rn to Near and demanded where Mello was. He callously told her, "He's dead. He can't be with you anymore. You will never see him again."

The tears erupted, she cursed at him, and when their eyes met, he saw Mello swirling in the cerulean. Her eyes burned with hatred beyond her years and he inwardly cringed.

It was the twenty-seventh: less than twenty four hours ago, Mello and Matt were still alive. Near swallowed thickly. He hated thinking like that, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't help but imagine the things the two will never get to do, the things they will never see. It honestly hurt him, it almost felt unfair for him to be alive when the two other successors had fallen. However, he couldn't let this bother him now; he still had to take down their killer. He contacted L.

"Hello, L. I don't mean to keep bothering you, but with regards to our meeting I want to confirm we are still meeting on the twenty-eighth at one. Is that right?"

"Yes."

"Very well. The twenty-eighth: the day after tomorrow."

"Right." L said and the two ended the connection.

Two of the monitors showed Halle and Gevanni. Both were in their vehicles. Halle was on her way to headquarters, while Gevanni was still tailing Mikami.

Near addressed him. "Gevanni. Will you be able to make it in time?"

"Yes. I'll be there for sure."

Near held up his latest finger puppet. It was of L. He accidentally made the cheeks blown out, but it oddly suited the fishy looking puppet. Feeling more childish than he had for the past day, Near ducked his head down and moved the finger puppet. He said coyly, "Commander Rester, Lidner, Gevanni. Let's put our best into this, shall we?"

The next day was rainy and miserable. The perfect setting for the downfall of Kira. Near woke up in good spirits, politely accepting the chocolate muffin Rester had purchased for him for breakfast. While he did not like chocolate, it made him feel closer to Mello. It was his homage to his fallen rival.

He started the day with a little baiting. "Good morning, everyone."

One of the Task Force members, whom he recognized as Matsuda, responded uncertainly, "U-uh, good morning."

"First of all, in regards to Misa Amane, we have set her free. You may call her to confirm it."

Near waited patiently while Light called her. "Alright, Near. I need you to connect me with Mogi. we have the notebook here and in order to unlock the safe its in, we need the pin number from each member of the team."

"Understood. I'll connect you to him immediately." He ended his connection and set up Mogi's connection to Light's.

While he was on hold, Near checked his L mask. It looked cartoony, but he wasn't an artist. It got the point across anyway.

"Near, this is Aizawa. It's been decided that I will be the one to carry the notebook."

_Good, I trust Aizawa more than I do the others. Still, I'm somewhat surprised Light didn't try to hold onto the notebook himself._ "L, are you sure that it's alright with you that Mr. Aizawa carries it? Be honest."

"Of course. I chose Aizawa for the job because we knew you'd prefer that. I have no problems with it." Oh, how he hated the smugness in Light's voice.

"I appreciate it. Thank you. Well then, we'll see you shortly." He ended the connection.

"I can't wait to wipe the smugness off that bastard's face." He grumbled softly to himself, while looking at Rester slightly apprehensively. He'd rather not be reprimanded for swearing, but it seemed Rester did not hear him. Or, chose to ignore it.

Near stood up. "Let's get going."

"Yes, sir." Rester traipsed after Near to the underground parking garage.

Near got in the back and counted his finger puppets like a teacher would her students during a field trip. All present. Good. Rester pulled out of the garage and drove the thirty minute drive to the wharf.

Near looked out his window, counting the raindrops on the window. He guessed which would collide and which would beat another drop to the sill of the window. It was the only way of keeping himself calm.

_In the likelihood I fail, there are no more successors, or rather, none that would be willing to take on the case after L's and my defeat. If it happens, Kira will go unchallenged and the world will fall into dystopia. I shouldn't think like this. I am not going to fail. I have never been beaten before and I will not be beaten now; not when so much hangs in the balance. I will avenge L and Mello and Matt. They died for this and I will not let their sacrifices be in vain._

"Near, we're here."

Near nodded silently and put his L mask in place. He grabbed his finger puppets and hopped onto Rester's back. Rester grunted slightly from his weight and sighed.

"Sir, why can't you just wear shoes?"

"Shoes are uncomfortable and cause my deductive reasoning to decreased by forty percent." Near replied dully, clinging tighter to the man's back.

When they got inside, Near climbed down from Rester's back and slid to the floor. He put his finger puppets in place just as Halle and Gevanni arrived. They stood side by side with Rester. Near turned to look at them.

"I want you three to know, that if I fail and end up killing all of us, it was an honor working with you. I couldn't have chosen finer agents." He said genuinely.

Gevanni and Rester nodded their heads in acknowledgment and Halle offered him a nervous smile.

They said simultaneously, "It was an honor working with you, sir."

He could tell they meant it, too. The door opened and Aizawa popped his head in. Near raised a hand in greeting.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Aizawa. I take it you are ensuring that the SPK is present, correct?"

Aizawa nodded. "Yes, that's right. The others have just arrived. I'll bring them in."

He disappeared and no more than a minute later, the Task Force enter. Near spotted Light right away. He walked overconfidently, his lips twitching once in a while as though he was ready to smile or burst out laughing. Near smirked behind the mask. He wanted to see that holier-than-thou expression twist into fear. However, when Light looked over at him, the look vanished and was replaced with barely concealed rage.

_Not liking me wear the face of your greatest enemy, eh, Light?_ Oh, well. Light would get over it. It was silent for a few tense minutes, then Aizawa spoke up.

"It's them. The four members of the SPK and the one wearing the mask is Near."

The man beside Aizawa, Matsuda, growled through his teeth. "Hang on. Am I the only one who sees something wrong? Near can go around accusing people of being Kira, but the fact that he is wearing a mask only proves he is only worried about himself and not anyone else."

Near lifted his hand and lightly touched the side of the plastic mask. "This is merely a precaution. There's a good possibility Kira has already seen the face of everyone in this room except for mine. In fact, he may be writing your names down as we speak."

He rubbed a curl between his fingers. "For now, I'd like to wait an hour-no, make it thirty minutes should give us more than enough time to see if anyone is being controlled before they die."

Matsuda was breaking out in a sweat. He gasped. "What? You're going to wait and see if we die?!"

Near chose not to answer. He found repeating himself to be tedious not to mention irritating. So, they all waited, everyone but Near and Light looking nervous. In fact, Light looked ready to laugh again, having gotten over the fact Near was wearing an L mask.

"Near," Matsuda called, "it's already been thirty minutes; nothing has happened yet."

"Of course not," Light rolled his eyes, "that's because Kira's not here with us."

_Then what is that shinigami doing there_? He had to admit, he wanted to scream when that thing followed the Task Force in. It reminded him of an evil clown, its lips drawn in a constant leering smile, revealing its sharp teeth. Its eyes were bulging like a fish's and unblinking like them, too. It was dressed in a strange leather like attire with several chains hanging from its waist. Its skin had a bluish tinge to it and its body was disproportionately long. Near shuddered slightly.

"Very well. Everyone seems to be safe. I'll remove my mask now." Her reached behind his head and untied the mask. He let it fall to the floor and looked at the Task Force. He grinned at them. No one smiled back.

"You're quiet, Near. What's wrong? Are you still waiting for something?" Light asked patronizingly.

Near moved Kira-Hamburglar to face Light. "'Waiting.' That's an excellent choice in words. Yes, I am waiting for the arrival of the one that will solve this case once and for all."

The man in the very back of the Task Force asked incredulously, "Someone else is supposed to be arriving?"

"Our guest should be here any minute. There is only one entrance to this place and the only way inside is to open that door. That means he'll either walk in, or at least look inside."

"And just who is this person anyway?!" Matsuda demanded.

Near put his Mikami finger puppet on his index finger. "X-Kira: the one who's been doing all the writing in the notebook in Kira's behalf. He'll bring the notebook, see me, and then write my real name down. Or rather,he will write down everyone's name who knows about the notebook and kill them." Near answered calmly.

The Task Force members' faces paled, except for Light who remained surprisingly calm. The SPK maintained their composure as well, but they were still sweating.

Matsuda fretted, "What are you saying? This doesn't make any sense!You are telling us that some guy is going to open the door, write our names, and kill us all?"

"And you want us to sit back and let it happen?!" Ide glared at Near.

"Yes, that's correct. Now listen carefully. If someone comes into the warehouse through that door, just let him in without resisting. If the door opens slightly, simply act as if you don't notice anyone there."

"B-but that's just crazy!" Matsuda protested.

Near heard the door open.

"He's already here!" He called, playing with his finger puppets.

Everyone began to panic, some more quietly than the others. The SPK were sweating, Halle shut her eyes tightly, and the Task Force were looking wildly around.

Near didn't so much as glance at the door, choosing to twirl his curl. He acted like none of it was happening as he explained, "You won't die; I modified the notebook. We took brief possession of the notebook and replaced some of the pages. The person behind the door has been doing the killings for Kira. He has also been using exactly one page every day. Based on that, I was able to replace the page he would use today as well as all subsequent pages so that no one else will die."

They heard the triumphant scream of, "Delete!" Near ignored it once more.

"On the other side of that door is X-Kira. In forty seconds, he will look inside and see if we are dead. That's when we restrain him and seize the notebook. Whoever's name is not written down has to be Kira."

"I-it's true," Aizawa realized, "Kira would be the only one that guy wouldn't kill. But, still..."

Light turned his attention to the red door where Mikami was hiding behind still. "You, there outside. Have you finished writing down the names in the notebook?"

"Yes, I've written them." came the response. Near found it interesting Mikami didn't hesitate to reply to Light.

"Don't you think it's rather odd?" Light looked at Near oddly. "Why would he answer you so quickly, calmly, and honestly when you asked him if he had written down our names yet?"

Light shrugged. "Who knows, maybe he's just honest, or confident he'll succeed, or perhaps he has seen through your brilliant plan."

The Task Force looked panicky again and Near narrowed his eyes slightly. Matsuda gasped. "In that case, we're in big trouble."

"Teru Mikami," Near called, "if it's not too much trouble for you, why don't you come in and join us?"

He felt like he was trying to coax a frightened dog. "I already know you have been the one who is judging and executing people for Kira. If you've already written down our names, there shouldn't be anything to be afraid of. You can come right on in."

"Teru Mikami, is it? He's correct; there's no reason to hide from us. You can come in." Light smiled invitingly while the Task Force members looked at him with disbelief.

Mikami grabbed the door and pushed it open, stepping inside carefully.

"How many seconds has it been since you wrote the first name?" Light asked, sounding innocently curious.

Mikami looked at his watch and grinned, "35...36...37...38...39..."

Light looked at Near and muttered, "Well, Near, it looks like I win."

Near glanced at him as Mikami yelled, "40!"

Everyone held their breaths. When no one collapsed, there was a collective sigh of relief.

"We're still alive..." Matsuda stated in astonishment.

Mikami's eyes widened and Light's face drained of color.

"Didn't I already tell you all that no one was going to die?" Near sounded slightly annoyed.

"But why? Why won't they die? God, I did everything you told me!" Mikami shouted at Light.

_Now's our chance!_

"Rester, Gevanni, take him now!" Near ordered.

Mikami yelped as they rushed at him, putting him in handcuffs. He dropped the notebook and Near held his hand up. "Gevanni, the notebook, please."

Gevanni obliged and gave Near the notebook. He held the notebook so that everyone could see their names. "If you didn't believe me earlier, see for yourselves. The first line is the members of the SPK. The next line is the members of the Task Force. The only name not on here...is Light Yagami."

Light glared darkly at Near.

"If that weren't enough, Mikami also addressed you as 'God' and said he did what you asked him to. It's settled."

Light took a shuddering breath, then suddenly yelled, "It's a trap!"

He pointed an accusing finger in their direction, "This whole thing is a setup! This is all part of Near's plan to frame me! Isn't it a little odd that no one died after having their name written into the notebook? This proves it's a trap!"

_Oh how the mighty have fallen. Has he already forgotten?_ Near calmly replied, "I believe I told you that no one would die because I modified the notebook."

"No! You...th-that can't be." Light sighed, at a loss for words. The Task Force stared at him in shock.

"This is a setup. I don't know this guy!" Light looked at Mikami. Mikami gasped and began to cry, bowing his head.

Aizawa placed a hand on Light's shoulder and said solemnly, "Light, it's too late to deny it. You know Near has won. Just a moment ago you were saying 'it looks like I win.' How much more of a confession do we need?"

Light didn't say anything and Matsuda dropped to his knees, looking hurt. Rester walked over to Light and pulled out handcuffs. Light suddenly pushed him away. "Stop it!"

His eyes wide and half crazed, he rushed to the wall, tripping on his own feet. He turned to look at them, breathing heavily. Near almost felt sorry for him. He looked very much like a fox trapped by the hounds.

He said, "Light Yagami...L...Kira, it's over. You've lost the game. Just a moment ago you proclaimed your victory, expecting us all to die. And to tell the truth, you might have actually won and I would have lost. We modified both the real and fake notebooks. We only switched part of the fake notebook, but as for the real one, we replaced the entire thing."

He pulled out another notebook from the inside of his shirt, admitting, "This is actually the real one."

Light's eyes widened and he gasped, "No! Impossible!"

Near continued, "We used the same kind of pen Mikami used and copied his handwriting perfectly. We made the inside and outside of the fake look exactly like the original. Gevanni was able to do it in a single night. Of course, since I had touched the real notebook before coming, I've been able to see the shinigami as well."

"Huh?" The shinigami looked a little startled.

Near looked at the shinigami and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Shinigami, I'm Near."

The shinigami let out a raspy laugh. "Nice to meet you, too. My name is Ryuk."

_His voice sounds like nails on a chalk board. Let's keep this short._

"Some of the edges of this notebook's pages are torn. Tell me, if someone's name was written on a ripped off piece of paper, would they still die?" Near asked Ryuk.

"Oh yeah, of course they would." Ryuk replied.

"I thought so. I bet you were able to use that to your advantage. I wonder how many times you deceived us with this and how many people you killed. Light Yagami, you are Kira."

Light was scowling deeply, his perfect mask crumbling. He could see his mind racing to understand his situation and to probably make up an excuse. No, he probably thinks Mikami betrayed him.

"You were mistaken; this was all thanks to Mello. I believe if I explained this much, you'll begin to understand."

_I'm sorry, Mello, but your death certainly helped the case. Or, perhaps you already knew that?_ Near opened the notebook to a certain page.

"Please look at this page." Light's eyes widened when he saw Takada's name there.

"God, you told me you couldn't move freely...I had to make sure Takada was taken care of! Wasn't that my duty to you?" Mikami asked desperately.

"You idiot! I gave you strict orders not to make any unnecessary movements until today!" Light shouted.

"It's all true. On the 26th, right after Takada's kidnapping was broadcasted on the news, Mikami went to the bank." Near stated.

"I'd been trailing him. I knew he went to the bank every month on the twenty-fifth, so it was odd for someone so methodical to go to the bank twice in two days. I followed Mikami to the bank as he headed for the safe deposit boxes, but it was only at this time that he seemed concerned whether someone was following him or not. I got him to his safe deposit box. Inside was the real notebook. Sure enough, Takada's name had already been written inside it." Gevanni quietly explained.

"Do you understand now, Light Yagami? You didn't realize that Mikami made a move on his own and wrote Takada's name in his notebook because you had already killed her using the notebook clipping yourself. This was the event that caused you to think about a fake notebook. We were able to stop you thanks to one person. It was Mello who did it all."

He looked at Halle out of the corner of his eye. Her bottom lip was trembling and she bit down on it to keep from crying.

"I bet Mello knew in his heart that by working by ourselves neither of us would be able to attain our goal and surpass our mentor, L. But with the two of us, we could stand with L! Together we could surpass L! And now, acting as one, we face the Kira who defeated L with solid evidence beating him at his own game. Let's see you try to talk your way out of this one...if you can." Near challenged, holding up his finger puppets of Mello, himself, and Kira.

Light suddenly threw his head back, laughing maniacally. The laugh resounded through the warehouse and everyone watched him warily, some had their hand on their gun. He lowered his head and looked at all of them.

"That's right...I am Kira. And what can you do; kill me right here? Hear this, I'm not only Kira, but I am also God of the new world! Kira has become law of the world we now live. He's the one whose maintained any order. I have become justice. The only hope for mankind...kill me? Is that the right thing to do? Since Kira's appearance six years ago, wars have stopped and global crime rates have been reduced by over seventy percent. But, it's not enough; this world is still rotten! With too many rotten people, somebody has to do this!"

He began to pace, looking at his hands for a moment before focusing his attention back on his audience. They were waiting for the climax with bated breath. Near was only humoring him. _There is no justification for what he has done...all the lives he has destroyed._

"When I first got the notebook all those years ago, I knew I had to do it. No...I was the only one who could! I understood that killing people was wrong, but there was no other way, the world had to be fixed! A purpose given to me! Only I could do it. WHO ELSE COULD HAVE DONE IT?" Light yelled, throwing his hands out wide in the end of his rant.

For a moment, Near was amazed. Light truly thought that what he had been doing was right for the world. He honestly believed he was justice. The very idea of Light Yagami being justice was laughable and enough to make Near's belly burn with rage. L is justice, not you.

"No," Near said firmly, "you're just a murderer, Light Yagami, and this notebook is the deadliest weapon of mass murder in the history of mankind. You yielded to the power of the shinigami and confused yourself with God...when in the end, you're nothing more than a crazy serial killer. That's all you are...nothing more and nothing less."

Light looked at his watch as though he was suddenly interested in it. He began to pace again and said, "Near, here's some food for thought. Those two notebooks...are they both real?"

Near raised an eyebrow. _What is he up to? Is he bluffing?_

"At the moment, I'm the only one who knows where the real notebook is. If you truly want to defeat Kira and test the notebook Aizawa brought, I guess you're going to want to write my name or Mikami's name." He turned his back on them.

_I have no intention of executing him or Mikami. He must be bluffing._

"It's the only way to see if they're real...or fake!" He suddenly whirled around, pen in hand, and began to write desperately on his watch.

"He has a piece of the notebook!" Rester yelled.

Near blinked and watched as Matsuda drew his gun and shot Light, hitting his hand. Light screamed and dropped the pen. Matsuda had tears running down his face, his arm shaking.

Light screamed at him, "Matsuda, you idiot! Don't screw with me! Kill the others!"

"What about your dad? What the hell did he die for?!" Matsuda yelled back.

"'Dad?' Oh, you mean Soichiro Yagami? That's right, Matsuda, all those earnest people who fight for justice always lose. You want a world like that where they are made to be fools? I know you understand so kill the others!" Light screeched.

Matsuda's hands were shaking, the tears still running down his face. "You led your own father to his death and now he's gone and you call him a fool?!"

He began to write with his blood and Matsuda began shooting at him. The bullets tore through him and he collapsed in a puddle. Near subconsciously flinched and covered his ears.

Matsuda ran over to him, screaming, "He has to die!"

He aimed his gun at his skull and pulled the trigger. Near blinked, but saw he was still alive; Mogi moved Matsuda's wrist at the last moment and the other Task Force members dragged the sobbing man back.

Near glared vehemently at Light's writhing body._ I can't believe this miserable creature is the one to defeat L. He isn't even worth the dirt beneath L's feet._

"It's finally over, isn't it, Near?" Rester sighed.

"Yes." Near agreed softly.

"Where are you, Misa? Where's Takada?" Light was sobbing and it made Near's heart twist. It was truly a bittersweet defeat.

Mikami suddenly stabbed himself with a pen and began to scream as blood came gushing out of his arm. Near's eyes widened. What the-

Rester and Gevanni ran over, eyes wide, but it was too late. Using that as a distraction, Light ran out of the warehouse.

Aizawa and the others went to pursue him, but Near called out, "Mr. Aizawa, he won't get far with those wounds and it is unlikely that he has anymore pieces of the notebook. There is no need to go after him."

"Near, I am not going to follow your orders." Aizawa said stolidly.

Near looked up, his eyes wide in shock, before regaining his composure and began twirling his hair. "Very well then. I will leave it up to you."

The Task Force members ran out of the warehouse after Light, leaving the SPK. Near stood up and looked out through the door. The sun was just beginning to set, the sky painted with lovely hues of red and pink.

"Sir?" He turned to see Halle standing beside him.

"I'm no longer your boss. It's just Near now." He answered, looking away from her.

"Near...I-I just want you to know I don't blame you for Mello's death. I read between the lines. You think you forced him to his death, but you really didn't. I think he knew all along how the case would end." She looked down at her feet.

Near blinked and looked down as well. He lied. "I don't blame myself for his death, but thank you for forgiving me. I only hope Rinzen will do the same one day."

He started to walk to the car, but her hand on his arm stopped him. He looked over his shoulder at her, a white eyebrow raised. She released his arm and pulled two things out of her pocket. The first was Mello's rosary. The second item was a book in a white cover. She handed them to him.

"How did you get-"

"He gave it to me the day before the kidnapping." She answered thickly, her eyes looking glassy.

Near looked at the book. It said, "The Los Angeles BB Murder Case." BB as in Beyond Birthday?_ Did Mello actually publish a book?_ He pocketed the book and rosary.

"Thank you, Lidner. I am going to bring his body back to England with me for a proper burial. If you'd like, you may come."

She smiled shakily. "I'd like that."


	19. Epilogue

The wind whipped through Near's thin suit. He adjusted his tie uncomfortably, while listening to Roger go through the service. Two caskets were on either side of the old man and he had to pause every once in a while when the lump in his throat made him falter. Beside each casket was a portrait of Matt and Mello. Since there were no real photos in existence of them (or at least that Near knew of), Linda had drawn them. He wasn't sure how or why Linda knew about Mello's scar, but she had included that little detail, the scar making Mello look far older than he actually had been. His mouth was pulled down in a frown, his eyes confused. Near wondered what he was confused about. Matt was smiling a lazy toothless grin, his goggles shielding his eyes.

Besides Roger, Near recognized a few familiar faces. Linda was sitting in the front row, bawling her eyes out. She wasn't obnoxiously loud about it, but Near was curious as to why she seemed to broken up about their deaths. He always thought she hated them, or at least Mello. He saw Cade, her face sad, but otherwise not conveying any other emotion. Her eyes were dry and she looked like she hadn't been crying. Halle, on the other hand, was crying freely, silently. Occasionally, Rester would pass her a tissue, which she would take gratefully. Beside her, Rinzen was seated, her hands clenched in fists.  
In the cover of the book Mello had written, there was a note addressed to Near concerning Rinzen. It had said:

_Near, I have no doubt Rinzen will have come into your guardianship for a brief amount of time, so I have one request. Take her to Wammy's House; I had planned to do so at the end of the case, for reasons you can deduce. I would have left her with Halle, but it seems unfair to dump Rinzen on her as a constant reminder of what a failure I was. Do not tell her about the case, why I died. With any luck, her memory of me will fade, though I left her with my rosary and jacket._  
_-Mello_

"...it saddens me to see such two brilliant minds extinguished at such a young age." Roger finished and the caskets were lowered. Linda sobbed harder and Near looked away.

He stood in front of the two gravestones, pausing a moment to lay Matt's goggles off the edge of his headstone.

"I wish I got to know you a bit better, Matt." He murmured.

He looked at Mello's gravestone. "I know you didn't like me, but know that I genuinely liked you. I apologize; I should have tried to come up with an alternative. If I did, then maybe you would still be alive."

He swallowed around the lump building in his throat and pulled out two chocolate bars. The first one, he laid on the stone, and the second he unwrapped.

"I swear I will eat one chocolate bar a day in honor of you, Mello." He said before taking a bite out of it.

Near mumbled his goodbye and went into the warm orphanage where Halle, Rinzen, and Rester were waiting for him. A girl was standing in the foyer, brow crinkled with puzzlement. She was a few years younger than him, with bright blonde hair, which was impossibly long. She had bright purple eyes and he stared at her before walking over to her.

"Is Roger in here?"

She nodded and pointed to his office. He nodded back at her. He looked over his shoulder once to see her staring curiously after him. He faced the door and pushed it open.


End file.
